5' 8" x 7' 9" Loribaft Gabbeh India 5X8 Black Red Wool Area Rug #012722

Gabbeh (Persian for “unclipped”) rugs are usually thicker and coarser than other oriental rugs, and are probably the most well-known handmade carpets from Iran. Traditionally, they have been hand-knotted as sleeping rugs. Designs are usually simple, with colorful folklife motifs such as rectangular objects and animals, and few decorative elements.

During the late 19th century, Gabbeh rugs were made by tribal weavers who lived in the Zagros Mountains. The nomadic Qashqai tribes of southern Iran are the original crafters of the Persian Gabbeh rugs. Other Persian tribes have since adopted Gabbeh techniques, including the Kurds, the Bahktiari, and the Lurs. They are sometimes identified by the city in which they have been woven. For example, a Gabbeh style rug woven in the city of Shriaz might be referred to as a Shiraz-Gabbeh.