Persian Rugs: Guide to Shahsevan Rugs and Bags

A Shahsevan bag face Moghan region

Hashtrud Miyaneh reverse sumac bag

The Shahsevan Confederation:
The Shahsevan were a tribal confederation in Northwest and Western Iran. To the rug and textile collector they are best know for their Sumac bags, They also made Kelims and some pile rugs and bags.

• A late Safavid era Kizilbash confederation created to counter balance older Kizilbash confederations.
• The Shahsavan was a product of the Kizilbash policies of the Safavid Shahs. It was a created Il to act as a political and military counter measure to more established Kizilbash Ils in the later part of the Safavi dynasty.
• The last major military action of the Shahsavan as a tribal confederation was in 1946. General Arfa armed the Shahsavan and worked with them to cut off the Soviet Tudeh attack on Teheran. Under Five Shahs
• Shahsavan Bag,

Rippon Boswell Shahsavan Rug 1st half 19th lot 102

The Dodds Shahsavan Rug?

Pile rugs are a subject of controversy. Such leading lights as Dennis Dodds and Wendell Swan are exploring the Shahsevan pile rug attribution while other notables such as Raoul "Mike" Tschebul reject the possibility of Shahsevan pile rugs.

Take for instance this rug (left) that would normally be attributed to the Sarab area. The Sarab area is the area of Mount Sabalan or Savalan as rug experts like to call it. It seems reasonable to suggest that this is a tribal rug and the tribes of the area were the Sabalan Shahsevan. Is it reasonable to attribute this rug to the Shahsevan rather than the non-Shahsevan villages of the reason? needless to say the debate continues.

• Shahsavan Rug 19th c. or earlier Rippon Boswell Lot 66
• Shahsavan Rug 1st half 19th Rippon Boswell lot 49
• Shahsavan Rug 1st half 19th Rippon Boswell lot 102
• Shahsavan Pile Rug 2. H. 19 Rippon Boswell Lot 33
• Shahsavan Carpet, Mid 19th c. Carpet Magic pl. p. 79
• Shahsavan Rug late 19th early 20th from James Cohen
• 19th C. Shahsavan Rug Lot 101 Rippon Boswell
• The Dodds Shahsavan Rug(?)
• Moghan Shahsevan Long rug late 19th early 20th
• The Hort 1870's Shahsevan Rug
• The Frauenknecht mid 19th c. shahsavan Rug
• Karabakh Shahsavan Rug circa 1910-20
• Shahsavan Rug approx. Rippon Boswell
• Shah-Savan Aserbeidschan, Galerie Van-Ham 
• Sautschbulag Shahsavan Long Rug mid 19th Rippon Boswell Lot 93
• Shahsavan rug C. 1890 Sotheby's lot 5
• Cruciform Medallion Northwest Persian knotted pile bagface C. 188o Nagel Lot 81
• Wendel R. Swan has written a description of Shahsavan

Pile Rug characteristics:

Nomadic Shahsavan pile rugs can be distinguished from other wool-on-wool symmetrically knotted weavings in the region by:

1. relatively simple field and border designs consistent with their flatweaves
   
2. fine red, salmon or ivory wefts, but not blue or brown
   
3. the frequent use of camel hair in the pile
   
4. the occasional use of cotton in the wefts
   
5. in certain groups or cases, sinuous warps caused by weft ease

C. 1900 Shahsavan Djidjim Rippon Boswell Lot 90

• The Wertime mid 19th C. Shahsevan Jajim
• C. 1900 Shahsavan Djidjim Rippon Boswell Lot 90

Rippon Boswell Shahsavan Rug 1st half 19th lot 102

Moghan Savalan

• Cruciform Sumac Bag
  • Shahsevan Cruciform Sumac Bag lot 56
  • 1st half 19th C. Moghan Savalan Shahsavan Cruciform Sumac Bag Rippon Boswell Lot 68
  • Moghan Shahsevan 19th c Bag face
  • Shahsevan Cruciform Sumac Bag
  • 1st half 19th C. Moghan Savalan Shahsavan Cruciform Sumac Bag Rippon Boswell Lot 142
• A Shahsevan bag face Moghan region
• Shahsavan Moghan-Savalan Khordjin
  • Shahsevan Sumac Bag lot 57
• Rare Khamseh Shahsevan Sumak Bag Face
• The Dodds Shahsavan Rug?
• The Aaron Nejad Shahsavan Sumakh Double Bag
• The Rippon Boswell Moghan Shahsavan Khordjin
• Rippon Boswell Moghan Savalan Shahsevan Bag Face
• 2nd half 19th C. Moghan Savalan Shahsavan Scissors Bag Rippon Boswell Lot 75

Central Transcaucasus Karabagh Sumak Bag

• C. 1900 Qarabagh Shahsavan Sumakh Bag Rippon Boswell Lot 29
• Central Transcaucasus Karabagh Sumak Bag
• Karabagh Shahsavan sumac
• Karabagh Shahsavan Pile Mafrash
• Northwest Persia or Transcaucasia Bag Face
• Early 20th C. Karabagh? Shahsavan Mafrash Panel Rippon Boswell Lot 131
• The Wertime Karabagh Bedding Bag (mafrash)
• The Wertime Karabagh Sumak Side Panel
• The Wertime 19th C. Caucasian Qarabagh/Kazak complete bedding bag (mafrash)

Garrus/Bijar Area

• Persian Garrus/Bijar Area Shahsevan Kilim Saddlebag Bag
• Rippon Boswell 12nd half Miyaneh or Bijar Shahsavan Chanteh Lot 67
• 2nd half Miyaneh Khani w/Bijar border Shahsavan Khordjin Lot 74 Rippon Boswell

Hashtrud Miyaneh

• Hashtrud Miyaneh reverse sumac bag
• Rippon Boswell 12nd half Miyaneh or Bijar Shahsavan Chanteh Lot 67
• Mid 19th C. Miyaneh Fantastic Animal Shahsavan Khordjin Lot 76 Rippon Boswell
• 4th quarter 19th C. Shahsavan Mafrash Rippon Boswell Lot 105
• Early 20th C. Hashtrud Shahsavan Mafrash Panel Rippon Boswell Lot 62

Khamseh

• The Wertime Khamseh Shahsavan Mafrash Panel
• The Wertime Khamseh Province Shahsevan Sumak Bag Face
• The Lavian Shahsavan Mafrash Panel
• The Haliden Khamseh Shahsavan sumac bagface
• Early 20th C. Khamseh Shahsavan Mafrash Panel Rippon Boswell Lot 131
• The Wertime Khamseh Province Shahsevan Sumak Bag Face
• The Wertime Karabagh Sumak Side Panel
• Qeydar
  • 1st half 19th C. Qeydar Khamseh Shahsavan Mafrash Front Lot 123 Rippon Boswell

Veramin

• Persian Veramin Area Shahsevan Ru-korsi
• Rippon Boswell Veramin Area Shahsavan Mafrash

Kelim

• A-Bey on eBay Shahsevan kelim
• The Dodds Unusual Shahsavan Kilim

Shahsevan Sumac Bag lot 57

The Aaron Nejad Shahsavan Sumakh Khordjin

The Thompson Shahsavan Bag Panel

Shahsavan or Kurd, Could Mallett be Wrong?

• Mallett responds, Could I be Wrong?

Sotheby's Shahsavan embroidered saddle-cover

19th C. Reverse Sumakh Shahsavan Khordjin

Late 19th C. Shahsavan Kilim Lot 169 Rippon Boswell

C. 1900 Shahsavan or Kurdish Sumakh Bag Rippon Boswell Lot 60

C. 1900 South East Caucasus Shahsavan Mafrash Panel Rippon Boswell Lot 61

2nd half 19th C. Karabagh or Moghan Savalan Shahsavan Sumac Mafrash Rippon Boswell Lot 207

The Wertime Rare Shahsevan Sumak Side Panel

The Wertime Rare Central (?) Transcaucasia Sumak Side Panel

The Wertime 19th C. Qarabagh Horse Cover

Moghan Shahsevan 19th c Bag face

The Rippon Boswell Moghan Shahsavan Khordjin

Notes on Richard Tapper

• Sumak Bags of Northeast Persia and Transcaucasia
• Arfa, General (Prince) Hassan: Under Five Shahs London: John Murray, 1964
• Odd & Ends
• Opposing Loop Closures
• Loop and Slit Closures.
• Reverse Sumak