Lori 253 × 173 cm

Carpet No.: 5558

Size: 253×173 cm

Knot density: approximately 160,000 knots per m²

Age: 20-50 years old

Composition: wool

This rug is hand knotted and there may be slight differences in shape, thickness and pattern. This is especially true for nomadic rugs.

Workmanship: hand knotted

While many regions of Iran have seen the alternation and fusion of ethnic groups of different origins throughout history, in Lorestan, south of Kurdistan, a single population has established itself since ancient times: the Lori. Of Iranian origin and Indo-European lineage, they are among the oldest indigenous groups in the area, with settlements, attested by numerous archaeological excavations, dating back to 2000 BC. For centuries and centuries they have led a nomadic life, dividing themselves politically into powerful tribes, but in the twentieth century the process of sedentarization promoted by the Pahlavi dynasty marked the beginning of their decline. Today they live not only in Lorestan but also in Chahar Mahal Bakhtiari and the Fars region. As regards carpets and their production, the Lori tribe has always distinguished itself with the use of designs with a strong symbolic value. Very common, for example, are the eight-pointed star and the motifs with a marked hook profile, derived from the stylization of ram or goat heads. The dense grid pattern, also called shir or shekari, dotted with small geometric figures, is also quite widespread. The chromatic ensemble is usually characterized by dark red, blackish blue and brown. Only sometimes do we find some orange shades, a favorite color of the Lories. The fur is thick with a mixed yarn of goat and sheep wool for the oldest specimens, while the recent ones have a cotton structure.