Home


Modern City Rug
2071

Paghman Lake War Memorial Rug
2053

Bridge Rug with Small Buildings Under Arch
This rug's condition is excellent and apparently new. There are a wide variety of marled colors: tan and green, navy and tan, red and navy. Drawing of this rugs motif is unusually refined and abstracted.
1493

Night Bridge Scene
This rug is in new condition and is unused. The wool is shaggy and new. The exact location depicted in these bridge rugs is unknown (if you know please contact us). This rug is the only night time version. The sky is a extremely dark blue which verges on black. The bridge structure is rendered in red on black with dark grey cables. It is an artistically creative way to render an urban night scene. Traditonal Baluchi motifs fill the sky and sparkle like stars.
1491

Clock Tower with Helicopters 2 War Rug
This rug, like its mate of similar weave and design, #1484 is the most interesting contemporary rug I have seen. While the helicopters are somewhat non discript, these rugs speak to the International Coalition's actions in western Afghanistan like no other rugs that we have seen.

This rug appears to be woven by the same artist as rug #1484. Besides the similarity of design, the similarity of material is exact. Rug appears new without any floor wear. Fuzz still on back of knots. There is one condition issue of note, there is a two inch cut that runs above first palm tree on left side just above red line over palm tree. Four warps are exposed for two inches, but the warps are unbroken. The wefts are broken and two columns of green and yellow marled knots are missing where cut is. Two columns of 11 knots each are missing. (I will repair this or have it repaired and make note here)

1489

Clock Tower War Rug
This rug is very unusual. The wool is very good. The design is unique. It appears to be an adaptation of designs like This war rug #1465 or Plate 36 in Kevin Sudeith's first book about war rugs.. The large clock is unusual relative to similar designs. The white of the tower from which the clock hangs is understated. The foreground of this rug is abstracted, and there are war motifs like helicopters and rifles, scattered throughout the foreground.

The structure of this rug is reminiscent of rugs like war rug #26. It is possible that both of these rugs represent the work of the same weaver some 10 years apart.

The washing of this rug was not totally successful, for one can see some red discoloration in the lighter tans and whites, please see photos. Also note the light purple is an old fashioned analine dye, and significantly tip faded. Most synthetic dyes used in carpets today are no longer analine, but my understanding is that the particular purple in this rug is analyne. Condition notes aside, this is an interesting rug.

One of the subtle, and important, ways I judge rugs is by their weight. The best rugs have a density lacking in more poorly made rugs. Its not so much about knot count, because this rugs knotting is not particularly fine, but when I finished inventorying it and laid it back on the pile I noticed it had that density that speaks so well of rugs.
1488

Vertical Format Urban Scene
This rug was selected from several examples of similar scenes. This rug is notable and selected for its fine knotting, good colors, funky vehicle running along the bottom and writing. This is perhaps an variation of an excellent shown at Canada's Textile Museum (example). The short pile and dense knotting put this rug in small group of fine pictorial scenes. The red text in the upper right appears to say ""American"" in english text and Farsi is unreadable to this writer except for date. Also notable is the red, outlined in orange, rifle or grenade launcher in the bottom left corner. The vehicles running in a line in middle ground are intersting. They are like vehicles in this land mine war rug (example)
1486

Clock Tower with Helicopters 1 War Rug
This is a new design in the past few years. Nigel Lendon, Max Allen and Kevin Sudeith have debated the monument shown. Sudeith maintains that it is a recently built monument built in a traffic circle in Herat, Afghanistan. Several rugs in our most recent shipment show this monument from several angles. This rug, and one similar example (link), are the best. The helicopters in the top right corner are unique to these two carpets. The helicopters ad excellent scale to whole rug. The emerald green in the cars in the foreground unusual material and doesn't feel like wool. The same material is marled into the first green and tan line on the top edge of the foreground roadway. The variety of marled colors give depth to pictorial space in this landscape rug. The geometric renderings of buildings is particular to these pictorial rugs from western Afghanistan.


Simply put, this rug (and its mate) are the best contemporary war rugs. This rug is great design with timely imagery.

For more information on pictorial war rugs please order Kevin Sudeith's book on the subject.
1484

Abstract Victoria St Landscape War Rug
This rug appears to be an abstract version of a rug like this (example) which Max Allen has suggested is Victoria Station in Melborne Australia. The background urban skyline is really beautiful. The similarity between the helicopters at the bottom and the helicopters on the right side is interesting. The main border of this rug is a very old pattern found in antique rugs from the Caucuses to the Afghanistan. The color and wool are reminiscent of Mushwani rugs from before the Afghan Soviet war.
1481

Very Abstract Bridge Rug
This is the most abstract Bridge rug. The same form serves as an automobile and a helicopter. The towers of the bridge stand out well being red outlined in white on blue border. The abstracted airplane on the right of the left bridge tower pushes the envelope of progressive abstraction.
1471

City Scene with Column of Tanks
1469

2007 City Scene Sumac
Gul I'Birjista is the name of this type of carpet which combines sumac and pile. Parsons says it originated in Afghanistan during the 1960s. Currently, in our regular rug stock we have two sizes Gul I'Birjista rugs, and each size originates in a unique town. From scores of these rugs this is the only one featuring war motifs, specifically an airplane in the top right corner. The background of most Gul I'Birjista rugs is an off white sumac usually woven in a medium quality. The pile is dense and compact. This rug features very old fashioned style kilim skirts of red and blue horizontal stripes. Of the 100's of Gul I'Birjista rugs I have scene less than one percent are pictorial. This is an unusual and collectible rug at a good price because of its recent vintage.
1468

Herat Traffic Circle Rug
New condition with residue of cutting: various stray longer threads. . Nice sheen.
1465

Double Minaret War Rug
Excellent condition. Very short pile. Slightly dusty and one broken warp on right hand edge of large minaret below uppermost green window.
1463

2008 Jam Minaret Rug
Condition is excellent, as one would expect form a new rug. The landscape drawing is strong in this rug. The 13th Century Ghurid minaret is beautifully depicted. The middle ground is red and tan marled wool. Signed “Tareeq 2008”
1454

City Scene War Rug
This war rug is in new condition with full pile and good colors. This war rug shows a town with tanks going down the main street. Please note the trees sticking out from each side of the main street. This kind of reflected, or specular, design is familiar
1452

Three Panel Sajada with Minaret Mihrab
Excellent condition. New, full pile. The design of this rug is unusual. It is a variation on the 'Three Panel Sajada' style, but the meandering road which usually runs back and forth diagonally across rug in this case attractively runs straight up the middle. Also, in stead of a variety of plants and building scattered over the rug's field, this rug had two columns of well drawn planes and helicopters. Most notably though is the change in the top third of the rug. Usually this design has mountains at the top, but in this case the top has been clearly turned into a traditional Afghan mihrab of repeated minarets. It is both attractive, and clearly makes this a prayer rug. Missing from the design are the gates at the bottom.

The earliest example of this design is Rug 1090. Another early example is at the Textile Museum in Canada. Some later examples are here, here, here, here, and here (Plate 35 from Pictorial War Rug book.
1439

Three Panel War Sajada
Good condition. This rug appears not to have been blocked when it was washed after being woven, so it has a slightly bumpy lay. The border is a pattern one sees in published rugs from the 19th century.

This design is a later version of rugs like 1090 (Plate 25 in Pictorial War Rug Book) Plate 25 is from the early 1980s while this rugs is from the mid to late 1990s. Canada's Textile Museum in Canada exhibited an early example of this design which is also interesting because of its unusually large size.
1438

"Victoria St Landscape Rug"
This rug is in new condition. Max Allen, in his descriptions in Canada's Textile Museum Exhibition, describes this image thus:
""Flinders Street Station in Melbourne was built in 1854. It is the oldest urban railway station in Australia, and the busiest station in the southern hemisphere.""
. I was told by an Afghan friend that it is the Sultan Hussein Shrine, but I suspect Max is correct.
1437

*in can* Flower Border City Rug
1430

15th Century Queen Gowhar Shad Mausoleum and Minarets
Low pile, oxidized color, otherwise very good.
1093

Ambush Sumac
This is an important rug, for it shows a classic guerilla ambush. The lead Soviet vehicle has been disabled, and the Mujahadeen are moving in on horseback and foot. There are snipers with light and heavy machine guns, as well as an RPG. The Soviets have called in air support in the form of fighter jets and helicopters.
The face is very slightly faded, but otherwise perfect. This rug appears to have been hung on the wall. This rug was purchased with two of similar design without war motifs. They depicted a town with river scene and both rugs had the similar reindeer borders.
1092

Very Fine Pictorial
Some wear, but excellent condition. The drawing, using two point perspective, is unique in this rug. It features a rocket in the river, a recurrent theme in war rugs. The colors are diverse and lovely
1091

Three Panel Herat Workshop
This is the finest war rug warrug.com has seen. It is very finely knotted with excellent wool spun in very fine threads. It has two expertly done repairs, and two discolored areas. Skirts are unique, and beautiful.
1089

Bomb Falling on Column War Rug
Excellent
1071

(exhibited at Miami University Art Museum)(listed as 775 in Miami U show) Full View Minaret at Jam war rug
new
948

Snowy Landscape
new
934

Kabul City Scene from Airport
923

Pictorial Rug with Tank Border
Excellent, really fine
903

APC Border War Rug
new
548

Red and Blue Tank and Helicopters War Rug
Excellent example of a new rug. Unusual pictorial design.
545

Blue River War Rug
Good condition. Very nice wool. Lots of natural undyed colors. This is a great example of a pictorial rug with a stream running through a town, most likely Qala I'Nau. Please not rockets in stream, this is a small subset of pictorial rugs with streams that feature the ""rockets in water"" motif. Perhaps they store their Stinger missiles in streams?
537

City with Small Helicopters War Rug - Vehicle Border
New production Taimani Baluch. Indicative of the new Taimini rugs with city scenes, often mischaracterized as ""Twin Towers""
535

Birds War Rug
Very good, older rug, some wear
472

Mountain War Rug
new, good
461

Small Houses Afghan War Rug
new, good
458

Pictorial War Rug with Herat Mosque - Mirror Reflection on Horizontal Axis
The condition of this Herati war rug is perfect. The most notable feature of this rug is the wash. It has been washed in Turkey or Germany to soften the color, and this wash leaves the wool amazingly lustrous and soft. The colors come out with a more muted palette.
This rug has an excellent design, beautiful colors, and is made from great wool.
One condition problem with this rug is that it has a small hole (one quarter inch square) toward the top right in the border.
There is a tag from the washer that reads - W.B.D. Ishan Teppich Washerei -.
354

Pictorial Taimani Beluch War Rug
This war rug is in excellent condition. It has nice color, interesting design, and the best quality wool for a rug of this type.
Like rug 354 this rug has a special wash. The washer's tag reads - W.B.D. Ishan Teppich Washerei - . This wash softens colors and leaves the wool very lustrous and soft.
This rug has a notable kilim skirt. The pile ends are followed by a one inch brown and white band of weft substitution. Around this first kilim band is a ring of pile. The dual texture is very nice and very unusual. Below the band of pile is a second band of weft substitution followed by fringe. This is a very nice touch.
Another notable feature of this rug is the flag motif border. This pattern is seen on some map rugs from Herat. In this case most of the flags are not clearly delineated, but flags are probably the origins of these motifs.
353

\"S"""" Shaped Street w/Trucks Prayer War Rug"
This vintage war rug is in excellent condition. It has nice colors throughout with a very attractive use of a burgundy shade not commonly seen. Then again, there is not much that is common in this war rug.
The Islamic designed border consisting of mosque domes and minarets are typically Mushwani, as is the color palette. This unusual design with the minarets and mosques inside the ""s"" war rug themes in prayer format are rare and quite collectible.
268

Mirror View of Town with War Motifs Afghan War Rug
This late 1980's / early 1990s vintage Afghan war rug is in very good condition. This rug has beautiful wool pile, and it features several colors of natural, undyed wool. The undyed wool is in colors of brown, camel and grey. This war rug has excellent sheen which is soft and lustrous.
The composition of this Afghan war rug is unusual and interesting. It appears that the mirror image depicts the same town during the night on one side and during the day on the other side.
Note the war motifs in the blue field above the buildings. The hexagonal forms attached by cords to the town appear to be improvised explosive devices. There are also tanks and airplanes featured.
The wool weft of this rug is indicative of a soviet era rug. The weft of this rug is chocolate brown.
The blue green color used in this rug is slightly tip faded but the rest of the colors are not.
260

Grid Pictorial Afghan War Rug
Nice example of Hazara weaving. These are supposedly made in Quetta Pakistan
51

Town Afghan War Rug
Unusual pictorial rug. Recollects the Soviet invasion of Heart. Parachuting Star of David is odd.
41

Pictorial Beginner Afghan War Rug
This seems like a beginner rug. Edges are irregular, and the back is uneven. Its lines are not smooth and composition and rendering are simple. Nonetheless, it has an informal punch. Imagery pops from very deep indigo field. Cars are nice.
31