Introducing the Abadeh RugThe Abadeh rug is considered very beautiful by a people who know rugs. This has put them in high demand due to their intriguing colors, designs, and fine weaves. They are more expensive than similar rugs from the surrounding areas, in Iran, where they come from. Furthermore, true these are one of a kind rugs, meaning that they are hand-made.
The Abadeh rug comes from a small market town, after which the rug is named, in a tribal and nomadic region located in Iran. This region is between Isfahan and Shiraz and the town is on the main highway. The Qashqai people cross this highway twice a year in their migrations, so this small market town is very important to trade.
For several generations, the Qashqai, nomadic peoples, have been pressured by the former Shahs to settle down. Occasionally, a Qashqai would settle and it usually would be in the small town of Abadeh. This made it easier to keep in touch with family members and relatives that haven't settled quite yet. Once settled the tribal women had more time to weave during the year on larger and better looms, which resulted in larger and better rugs. They made the sides straighter and increased the knot counts. With their better looms, they used cotton, which helps make a better rug, in the weaver’s view. From this have come the rugs that we know today by that name.
A centuries old technique These rugs are hand-made from a centuries old technique of using flat, very firm and closely placed woven knots. Time used to make each of these rugs varies on how large it is going to be. An interested characteristic is that they "drape" less than other Persian rugs, because their construction is very tight and fairly rigid. The looms used in the villages themselves are the type that are small enough to be placed, either in the living room or the bedroom. The Qashqai are a "tribal federation of different ethnic backgrounds". These include "Arabs, Turks, Kurds, and Lurs." So that diversity in ethnic backgrounds is reflected in the patterns woven, but they all use the same techniques and materials, just different patterns.
The best-known design is the Heybatlu. This design is a large diamond shaped medallion in the middle and four small ones in each corner. This design hasn't changed for decades. The medallion on these lovely rugs encases stylized and geometrical shaped bird, animal, and flower patterns, along with the "tree of life." The traditional colors of Abadeh rugs are dark blue, bright green, light red with ivory or white corners. The rug materials are always wool on a cotton base. They come in different sizes but, the majority are medium sized, ranging from 4x6 to 8x10 feet. Rug runners go up to sixteen feet in length.
If by chance, you have a rug, but want to make sure that it is in fact a real Abadeh, and not a Shiraz rug, since they are similar. The difference is in the foundation. Shiraz uses wool while Abadeh uses cotton. Shiraz rugs are also courser, while Abadehs are finer. An authentic Abadeh Persian wool area rug is also obviously made in Iran, and they are never made out of anything that is a petroleum byproduct. So, after possessing this knowledge, are you ready to buy your first Abadeh rug? If so, hopefully, you will not only be able to tell the real deal from a copy. Then you'll have a rug to be proud of in your home for years and years to come.
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