Hashtrood Rugs: Hashtrood Kilim Rug

About Hashtrood Rugs
Hashtrood is a small village in western Iran’s mountainous Gilan province, with limited output. Hashtroods usually have geometric styles. These are usually made in long runner sizes. The colors in a Hashtrood rug may be any combination of salmon, pale blue and navy blue. Reds are very rarely seen in Hashtrood rugs.

History & Construction
The northern provinces of Gilan, Zanjan, and Mazandaran are very rich in history. There are some strong traces of Turkish and Kurdish influence seen in these nomadic and/or semi-nomadic people, but they are mostly of Persian origin. Descendants of the Mongolians (led by Ghengis Khan) who invaded the country in the 13th century, Turkish and Mogul tribes have been living in this region for many centuries. The province of Zanjan has a higher Kurdish population, whereas Gilan has a higher Persian population. These peaceful people are documented to have been weaving rugs for over 3,000 years. They have a migratory lifestyle, and both sexes practise rug weaving. In some cases, the rug weaving is the family's main source of income and these nomads continue to weave even in the harshest conditions. These tribal pieces have a thick, soft wool pile. Their foundation can either be cotton, wool or goat hair, and the coloring is mainly natural vegetable dyes. The finer Persian asymmetrical knot is used more often than the symmetrical Turkish double knot. Weaving is very difficult for these nomads, far away from the conveniences of modern technology. They make their own looms, which are used horizontally on the ground, as they need to be easily dismantled and transported.