Common or unusual?

[Clint Collins Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Clint Collins]

Hi all, what a wealth of information here it’s wonderful.

My wife and I have wanted a rug for a long time and we really thought we wanted a Persian and colourful pattern one, that was until we came across Afghan rugs which blew us away.

We narrowed down what we liked and found an unusual (at least to us) pattern and colour. We haven’t much idea what it is exactly but we’re told it might be from the 1990’s and Basheer? Regardless, we love it. My wife loves the flower petal looking pattern. The photo might not show it so well but the colour is not very red but more rusty coloured. Size is 3.5m x 2.5m. I’ll try and get a photo of the back tomorrow. We’d love to know more of course.

We’re now on a learning journey with plenty to read and learn. We hope to learn enough to make a more educated buy next time. But sometimes it’s just what grabs the heart.

Clint Collins

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

For me it appears to be an Afghan rug from the north and it’s called a Kunduz. I am not sure on the date but research the Kunduz rug name and you may find more info on it. Some of these tend to bleed so be careful with liquids. If you have a spill, pat it dry and don’t rub it.

Nice looking rug and congrats.

[Clint Collins Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Clint Collins]

Thank you for the quick reply Joe. We have a young baby so spills might be ha common thing so thanks for the advice.

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi Clint,

I think Joe has it right. The numerous minor borders and the palette suggest that this is a post-WW II era rug, likely latter 1950-1960s. The checkerboard end finish is common on postwar pieces from northern Afghanistan. The foundation materials are tough to see, so maybe a closeup of the end finish and fringe (the warps) would help judge it better. If it's naturally dark Karakul wool and handspun, it's likely a village piece from prior to the Russian invasion. Much Afghan work after the invasion has been done on machine-spun wool dyed medium gray, or bleached, and built in refugee camps.

Regards
Chuck Wagner

[Clint Collins Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Clint Collins]

Thank you Chuck and Joe for the info. It’s taken forever to reply sorry.

that’s some interesting points about the rug, much appreciated. We still love our rug and looking to get another. My wife likes the colour of the current one but they seem hard to come by. Many rugs are a vibrant red where ours is more terracotta.

We may be incorrect in assuming ours is a natural dye but ideally we can find another much the same.

As for the warp of the current rug, I’d love to know if it is Karakul wool or not. Maybe the attached photo would help?

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi

That is Karakul wool, and it looks like it's handspun.

In the earlier days of the Afghan war the refugees still had access to such material, and it doesn;t look so new to post-date the war. So mid-1950's to late 1970's would be my guess.

Regards
Chuck

[Guest Close Guest]

Thanks Chuck for taking a closer look and making an educated dating. We are now looking for our next rug. Maybe we caught the rug-bug.

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi

A word of caution: Do some reading and researching before going on a buying binge. Many long time collectors have a pile of rugs that the dog sleeps on, that represents their early purchase days. Do you want decor ? Are you interested in ethnographic significance ? Do you think you are investing ? Do you want to spend a lot, or a little, over the years ? City rugs, village rugs, tribal rugs ? Etc.

Regards
Chuck

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

Very sound advice from Chuck. A few years ago I purchased a few pieces from a self described rug addict. He had a pile of rugs in his garage from compulsive buying that was at least six feet in diameter and 5 feet high. It was a moth invested termite mound that may wife and I actually went through and folded every piece for the guy that had limited mobility. We did buy a few pieces only to bag them up and take them right to the expert cleaner.