Qashqai Kilims

The nomadic Qashqai of the Fars district of south-west Persia are well known for their traditionally woven kilims. The tribe’s origins can be traced back to the sixteenth century, when its people formed part of the Turkic hordes who invaded from the north. As a result, some Qashqai kilim patterns can be directly related to those of the Caucasus. Once famed for their long annual migration from their winter quarters by the Persian gulf to their summer pastures in the Zagros mountains, the Qashqai have suffered heavily under the repressive policies of the Persian governments since 1925. ln consequence, most of the best rugs were woven before the Pahlavi regime, and these older Qashqai kilims are particularly exciting and satisfying to live with.Woven during migrations, or at resting-places, Qashqai kilims often display striking variations and shifts in pattern and colour. Only a small amount of dyed yarn can be carried by the nomads at any one time, so successive batches of wool for the same kilim have to be dyed en route, hence the colour variations. The ground looms upon which they are woven are often packed up and moved while weaving is in progress, so that the patterns are interestingly varied.