I am Writing a Book and could use all the help I can get

[Amna Abbas Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Amna Abbas]

For the past five years, I have been part of a research book project, which is a not-for-profit project. The book covers Balochistan, its culture, people, history, and textiles.

As part of my contribution to the project, I have been working on an epilogue that explores motifs found on archaeological pottery shards from Mehrgarh and the Indus Valley and how they share a stark resemblance with those of Baloch embroidery motifs. The epilogue also explores motifs found across the globe in different schools of embroideries and kilims.

I need help sourcing images of kilims that I can use in my book, here is a list of different kilims that I am looking for and if anyone would be kind enough to share with me good resolution images of kilims in their collections (a full image and some close-ups):

-Baloch Kilim from Chakhansur
-A Sarhadi Baloch Kilim
-Baloch Malakai Kilim
- A Luri Kilim (Persia)
- Afshar kilim from Kirman
- Afshar kilim from jiruft
-Firozkohi Aimaq Kilim
- Jamshidi Aimaq Kilim


Here is my email, will be waiting for some treasures to his my inbox <3
amna.abbas.5a@gmail.com

[Guest Close Guest]

Be careful not to get too carried away with this. I also work in this field and know how seductive making formal, rather than actual historical, connections can be! Better to leave the time machine along and live in the not so distant past.

[Guest Close Guest]

I meant "alone"!

[PaulSmith Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PaulSmith]

Hi Amna,

I emailed you some images, then realized I had at least one other relevant kilim and so I might as well post the three Baluchis and here at least I can add examples if I think of them. If anything is useful, so be it. I liked the assignment. So first, my Baluch kilim from Sistan, which could well have been woven near Chakhansur (or a little further west) was photographed in high resolution for a conference graphic.


I was told that this next Baluchi kilim was from Qala-e-naw. This is a fragment, part of a kilim that would likely have had two such strips sewn together.



Then this next kilim fragment is clearly Baluchi and old, but ?? tribe. No idea myself. It is perhaps a bag front, fragment of a strip of a floor kilim? It represents the deepest corners into which a rug fiend can fall.



Then I realized that you weren't just after Baluchis, and I do have this 19th-c. kilim, which I am pretty sure is Luri from SW Persia.



I own all these pieces and can take whatever closeup image is useful.

Good luck,

Paul