Over twenty years ago, Afghan refugees crossed the border and re-settled in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, not far from Islamabad. At the time, most of their rugs looked the same: skillful, repetitive Turkoman designs, with darker reds and browns, jewel tones, and an enduring tribal charm and character.

The look and feel of these rugs didn't change much over the years, and that was part of their attraction.

Then, Afghan weavers began to notice a movement toward natural dyes and variegated colors, witnessed by similar movements in Turkey and India, furthered by keen importers and product developers intent on creating products for a discerning American and European client base. Evolving color and style preferences in western markets rapidly revealed a new direction for rug making, with time-honored methods and a fusion of design integrity.

Designs were no longer fixated on detail or fineness. Many designs were "opened up", resulting in less cluttered, more fluid, understated and handsomely decorative rugs.

This, combined with the resonating circulation of color from the variegated dyes, produced an array of hand knotted rugs that rug consumers welcomed with open arms.

These rugs, which are known by many different names (Khyber, Peshawar, PakVeg Dyed, Aryana, etc.) are looking better than ever, and continue to play a leading role in traditional, handspun variegated decorative rugs, especially in room-sizes.

If you're looking for a larger decorative rug that works in today's interiors, chances are you'll look seriously at a rug from NWFP Pakistan during your search.

A Weaver's Sense of Style and Discovery Gabbeh refers to a traditional style of weaving from Southwestern Iran.

The nomadic people of the Lori, Bakhtiari, and the Qashqai tribes have woven Gabbeh Oriental rugs for over a hundred years, and continue to keep this stunning tribal art form alive.

The beauty of Gabbeh Oriental carpets is their departure from the classic Persian style, to one of more freedom and natural expression.

Through the deliberate distortions of line and color, and the often simplified use of pattern, the weaver increases the emotional impact of their art.

There are four main groups of Gabbeh carpets: Yalameh, Kashkuli, Amaleh, and Luri-Baft. The most elaborate and advanced — in design, spirit, and intonation — are the Kashkuli and Luri-Baft carpets, which often integrate nomadic forms from a variety of regional and emblematic influences, providing a delightful congruence of rarely found styles.

Designs found in Luri-Baft carpets are primarily induced from images and depictions of old carpets, whose character and color passes through time and survives the rigours of evolving aesthetics.

Much care is taken to keeping the integrity of the art form intact while avoiding overloading the carpets with cluttered, busy patterns. Luri-Baft carpets are among the finest in knot density of new tribal goods, and are proudly produced by Quashqai weavers and the women of the Lur, both salient tribes of Southwestern Iran.

Formerly nomadic but now settled, these talented weavers are occasionally able to produce carpets measuring as much as 15 x 22, a size which takes five women over one full year of work to complete. Knotting and weaving is carried out primarily by women, whose lives are closely linked with all the processes of carpet making.

The weavers use simple, horizontal looms — now supported by steel frames — which assure less bowing, less distortion, and more pronounced sizing from one end of the carpet to the other. This assures a smooth transformation from tribal influence to modern interior setting.

The name Yalameh refers to a tribe in the eastern part of the Chahar Mahal province — often described as Bakhtiar.

The weavings of Yalameh are most often in a "Garden" panel design, akin to many Bakhtiar rugs, or in a three medallion design — somewhat like Qashkai. There is in fact some academic discussion about the origin of the Yalameh people — some think they are connected with the Qashkai — others think they may be more related to the Luri. Commonly Yalameh rugs have a two colour binding of the selvedge — as do Qashkai.

All of the Luri-Baft designs spring from the imagination of the weaver, influenced by primeval, folk-inspired motifs; it is this blend of old tradition and personal freedom that produces a unique, compelling carpet.

The Luri-Baft/Gabbeh carpets we sell are considered by many to be the best quality modern Oriental rugs woven since the turn of the century. What sets them apart from other weavings are the significant — yet proprietary — innovations in dyeing and mordanting colors, resulting in brilliant, pleasing hues, optimum wool absorbency, and superior finishing and surfacing.