Persian Rug Qashqai 35 x 34 cm Wool Hand-knotted

Ghashghai Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Ghashghai cushion is hand-knotted and combines a front made of 100% virgin wool with a back made of 100% cotton. The wool forms the visible textile surface. In traditional carpet making, wool is valued for its resilient character and its soft, supple handle. Cotton provides the material for the reverse side and gives that side a different textile structure. The composition is therefore clearly defined: the front is entirely virgin wool, while the back is entirely cotton.

The reverse is made from old Jajim, a Kilim. Jajim is a flatwoven textile in which the design is created through the interlacing of warp and weft rather than through a raised pile. Unlike the knotted front, a flatwoven Kilim surface has no cut pile. This cushion therefore brings together two established textile methods: hand-knotting on the front and traditional flatweaving on the back.

Hand-knotting involves placing individual knots by hand into the foundation and then arranging the pile surface. On a cushion, this produces a textile face suited to use in a living space. The description emphasizes careful workmanship, a pleasantly soft feel and a stable construction. No numerical knot density is provided, so no density figure is assigned to this piece. What can be stated is that its surface is hand-knotted and that its construction combines wool workmanship with a cotton and Jajim reverse.

Origin and Tradition

The cushion comes from Persia, from a nomadic area in southwestern Iran. It is associated with the Ghashghai nomads, whose textile tradition is closely connected with the Fars region. The Ghashghai are nomadic tribes known for hand-knotted carpets and cushions as expressions of Iranian nomadic art. Their textiles developed within a mobile way of life and were therefore connected to everyday use as well as to visual expression.

Ghashghai weaving and knotting do not follow one single fixed pattern. The tradition includes geometric structures, vivid colour arrangements and signs shaped by the surrounding landscape and by the cultural memory of the tribes. In nomadic textile work, making and meaning are not separate activities. A carpet or cushion can be a useful object, a visible sign of origin and part of a craft practice passed down through generations.

Fars in southwestern Iran has a long association with different nomadic communities. Their carpets and cushions are distinguished from many urban workshop pieces by a direct and clearly organized visual language. Geometric fields, repeated motifs and lively colour relationships may all contribute to that language. The designs are not only decorative surfaces; they can also carry memories, ideas and references drawn from the makers’ surroundings and way of life.

Ghashghai textiles thus represent a body of knowledge transmitted within the community. This knowledge includes preparing and working wool, setting up the foundation, knotting, weaving, arranging the surface and combining colours and motifs. A hand-knotted cushion from this tradition belongs to that broader textile practice. The old Jajim on the reverse adds the history of Persian flatweaving to the object and places the cushion in relation to more than one traditional technique.

Persian carpets and other Oriental textiles are more than household objects. They are also records of regional history, craft knowledge and cultural identity. Colours and patterns may refer to landscape, daily life and the community that produced them. This connection is especially direct in nomadic work because the textiles arise from the life of the group itself. The Ghashghai cushion belongs to a tradition in which handwork, use and cultural continuity operate together.

Design and Pattern

The pattern of this cushion is described as Oriental. Ghashghai design is associated with vivid colours, geometric forms, floral motifs and balanced symmetries. These elements fulfil different visual roles. Geometric forms organize a surface through lines, diamonds, fields or recurring angles. Floral motifs reduce plant forms into recognizable textile signs. Symmetrical arrangements establish a measured relationship between the different parts of a composition.

The Ghashghai visual language combines strong colour effects with an evident sense of structure. In nomadic carpets and cushions, motifs from nature, animals and everyday life may appear in an abstracted form. They do not need to imitate their subjects realistically. Once reduced to lines, areas and repetitions, they become part of a specifically textile vocabulary that can be worked into a knotted or woven surface.

Within Oriental carpet tradition, colour and pattern serve several purposes. They create rhythm, separate areas of a composition and help express regional character. They can also preserve cultural ideas and memories. Traditional textile colours are often connected with the natural surroundings of the region where a work is made. In Ghashghai tradition, such references meet the mobile life of the nomads and a visual language carried forward through inherited craft knowledge.

The hand-knotted front and the old Jajim back also represent two different ways of constructing a design. On the front, the pattern is formed through individual knots and the arrangement of the wool pile. On the reverse, the design belongs to the logic of flatweaving. This difference is part of the cushion’s textile character without requiring a specific pattern to be assigned to the back. The stated fact is that the object combines two Persian textile traditions in one cushion.

Ghashghai pattern tradition is closely linked to the identity of its makers. A carpet or cushion can express origin, accumulated skill and cultural belonging. The Oriental design of this piece should therefore be understood not as an isolated decorative label, but as part of a visual system shaped by handwork, nomadic culture and the regional traditions of southwestern Iran.

Special Features

The cushion is described as new and in perfect condition. It can be used as a back cushion on a sofa or as a textile addition to a bed. Its hand-knotted virgin-wool front and its reverse made from old Jajim give the object two distinct traditional textile surfaces. It is also suitable for rooms with underfloor heating.

Care should be gentle. For routine removal of dust and loose dirt, a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment can be used. Stubborn marks should be treated with a specialist carpet cleaner. If the correct treatment is uncertain, consulting a professional is advisable. This approach takes account of the textile surface and avoids unnecessarily harsh handling.

FAQ

What makes the Ghashghai cushion special?

Its distinctive feature is the combination of a hand-knotted front with a reverse made from old Jajim. The front is 100% virgin wool, while the back is 100% cotton. The cushion is associated with the Ghashghai nomads, comes from a Persian nomadic area and has an Oriental pattern. It therefore joins traditional textile workmanship with practical use as a back cushion or as an addition to a bed. It is described as new and perfect in condition and is suitable for underfloor heating.

How should I care for my Ghashghai cushion?

For regular care, dust can be removed with a vacuum cleaner fitted with an upholstery attachment. The attachment should be used carefully so that the textile surface is treated gently. Stubborn stains may require a specialist carpet cleaner. Because the front and back are made using different traditional textile methods, cleaning should not be more intensive than necessary. When the correct treatment for a mark is unclear, professional advice is recommended.

Where does the Ghashghai cushion come from?

The cushion comes from Persia, specifically from a nomadic area in southwestern Iran. It is associated with the Ghashghai nomads and the Fars region. Ghashghai textile art is known for hand-knotted carpets and cushions with vivid colours and geometrically oriented designs. This art form belongs to a nomadic tradition in which craft, everyday life and cultural heritage are closely connected. The old Jajim on the reverse also links the cushion to the Persian tradition of Kilim and flatwoven textiles.