When you have become reasonably confident in being able to identify and classify curvilinear city carpets, your next mission will be to become familiar with the geometric/angular patterned carpets from the rural areas of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Iran. This exciting phase in carpet discovery will take you on a journey that will present to you a myriad of abstract patterns that are accentuated with soft and brash colors — some natural and some synthetic. Many of the geometric tribal carpets that you may discover will be contemporary. However, constant searching and sifting through the carpet merchants’ stock will periodically reveal old and naturally color-faded masterpieces. The majority of the tribal carpets seen in Jeddah come from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, while a few examples originate from Iran.

What exactly is a tribal carpet? It is generally speaking any rustic looking, usually wool-piled carpet that is woven with a geometric/angular design. First and foremost, the majority of tribal carpets woven today and seen in great quantities in carpet shops are not tribal in the purest sense of the word. Appearances can deceive, and today’s examples do, as they are mere copies of older masterpieces from a tribal weaving past. Other related terminology to describe tribal carpets includes nomadic, semi-nomadic, and village. Nomadic and semi-nomadic carpets from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries are the types of tribal carpets that collectors passionately seek. The main reason for such interest in these carpets is that they were woven from the heart and were intended to be used within the family. Furthermore, they were the products of proud tribal traditions and were not, unlike today’s examples, woven for commercial reasons.

However, village carpets, although tribal in design, are generally woven by sedentary weavers. Many of these contemporary woven carpets will display strong and cold-looking colors, unless the carpet has been chemically washed to tone down the colors. Furthermore, the sedentary and spiritless lifestyle of these weavers is articulated into their weavings via the carpets’ designs. Their carpet designs can appear overly simplistic to speed up carpet production, demonstrating a ridged and rushed appearance. The effect of 21st century commercialism bestows little, if any, aesthetic value. Although the majority of these contemporary woven carpets will not be destined for the major auction houses around the world, we must remember that they are handmade and will decorate and bring pleasure to many homes.

The great and historic tribal weaving nation of Turkmenistan, bordering northern Afghanistan, produces in vast quantities the famous Tekke gul design (repetitive, vertical rows of elephant’s foot impressions, often referred to by the dealers as the Bokhara design). These contemporary examples are usually of excellent quality in terms of the wool and the natural colors that are used usually displaying a high degree of weaving skill. These carpets are excellent buys and would grace any home. However, despite these favorable attributes, the sedentary examples of today still remain as shadows when compared with the past Turkoman, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribal masterpieces they seek to replicate from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.

When browsing through the carpet shops, there will always be a high number of Afghan carpets and textile-related products, such as the tent, camel and salt bags on display. Many of these items will be identified to you by the dealer in general terms as Afghan Balouch.

Some will be old, many will be contemporary. These weavings will usually be quite dark in color where large amounts of blues, blacks, and browns, highlighted with small details of natural ivory wool predominate the weavers’ color scheme. However, there are beautiful, older examples of Balouch weaving from Herat that display rich and soft madder root reds with indigo blues, esparek yellows, and natural ivory wool. If the dealer shows you an old Afghan Balouch carpet, make sure that the warps and wefts are handspun from soft wool and/or wool/goat hair mix. The feel of the carpet will be soft and flexible. The sides of these old carpets (selfidges) will normally be bound with hard-wearing dark brown or black goat hair.

If you are fortunate, the kelim freeze at both ends of the carpet will be partially intact. If you are very lucky, the kelim freeze will be complete (a feature that is no longer produced in contemporary Balouch carpets). If all of these details are identified, then you will indeed be looking at an old Afghan Balouch weaving. However, if you are looking at cotton warps and wefts, wool/cotton bound selfidges, cold and bright colors, and the feel of the carpet is stiff and unfriendly, then your chances of looking at a contemporary Afghan Balouch weaving is high.

Iranian tribal carpets have always drawn considerable interest from all over the world. Carpet shops always stock colorful examples particularly from the Meshad, Hamsa Confederacy, Afshar, Bakhtiari, and Quashqai tribal regions of Iran. Many of these contemporary woven carpets faithfully replicate old Iranian tribal patterns. For example, the Bakhtiari weavers continue to weave the beautifully colorful and detailed Shah’s paneled garden design. This wonderful design displays square panels. Within each panel there will be flower and tree life details such as flower heads, pomegranate trees, weeping willow, Cyprus trees, boteh, and vases cascading with flowers. Tribal patterns woven in the Hamsa Confederacy, Afshar, and the Quashqai regions include abstract human forms, flowers and fauna. Central medallions in the shapes of stepped diamonds and ovals also play a major design role in these carpets.

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- Arab News Features22 May 2003