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Old Luri Bahktiari Bag Face

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Old Luri Bahktiari Bag Face

1 foot 9 inch by 1 foot 11 inch.

This is a wonderful old Bahktiari bag face. The color is very good and the wool feels great. As most of you know I tend to be very conservative in dye attribution but this one has the jewel tones and looks great. The colors are bright and clear with no fading or dye runs. While this is not conclusive but it is drastically better than later Bahktiari pieces.

I call this a bag face because at 1 foot 9 inch by 1 foot 11 inch it is most probably a Khordjin face that was separated from the rest of the bag. This is common with older bags.

Why do I call it Luri Bahktiari and not just Luri?

The Bahktiari are a tribal confederation of people who predominantly speak Luri. So the Bahktiari are Luri, but not all Luri are Bahktiari. This bag shows a higher degree of sophistication than most bags attributed to the Luri and uses a border I associate with the Luri Bahktiari.

Luri Bahktiari Bag Face, Iran. Early to mid 20th century. 1 foot 9 inch by 1 foot 11 inch.

Structure: Symmetrical knot.8 knots per horizontal inch and 9 knots per vertical inch. 72 per square inch (1115 per square decimeter)

Yarn Spin: Z.

Warp: 2 ply white wool

Weft: 2 shot 2 ply red wool

Pile: 2 Wool singles.

Further Notes: The bag is in excellent condition.

How Old Is This Piece?

First of all I know where this piece comes from. I purchased a number of pieces from a long time Washington DC area collector who is moving into a smaller home. I was fortunate because she called me on the recommendation of a prestigious area dealer. She had accumulated this piece in the late 60s and early 70s. She bought this piece as older about 30 years ago and after seeing it in person I have no reason to doubt it.

For Further Reading: Guide to Rugs & Books

Thanks and best wishes,

J. Barry O'Connell Jr.