Bag face of wool, Fars, Iran, 1875-1899

Bag face of hand-knotted woollen pile on woollen warp and weft.

The warp consists of white wool, Z2S, depressed with 22 threads to the inch (80 per dm).

The weft consists of purple wool; Z2S, 2 shoots after each row of knots; 14 knots to the inch (60 per dm).

PILE: wool; 16 colours: dark red, red, orange, yellow/green, green, light green, very light green, dark blue, blue, light blue, very light blue, dark brown, brown, light brown, black/brown, cream; asymmetrical knot, open to the left and tied around 2 threads; 154 knots to the sq. inch (2400 per sq. dm).

SIDE FINISH: each side has 5 warp threads wrapped with brown wool to form a single cord.

END FINISH: lower: 8 blocks of tapestry-woven diamond pattern in various colours, two colours per block. Upper: continuous tapestry-woven pattern of squares in yellow/green and red.

DESIGN: Field: a large hooked central diamond contains five guls linked to form a cross. The field is crowded with small geometric and floral motifs.

Main border: cream ground with reciprocal geometric meander.
Inner guard: the lower edge is green and red, the other three are red and blue.
Outer guard: is yellow/green and red.
Lowest band: extra band of small squares in yellow/green, red, black and cream.

Given by Mrs C. Jenner

The narrow upper and lower band of small squares on this bag face are usually associated with carpets and bags woven by some tribal groups in south-west Iran. The central motif is a hooked lozenge filled with carefully placed motifs and there is one cross-shaped motif in each corner but the rest of the field is scattered with tiny motifs worked wherever the weaver fancied placing them.

T.426-1980