Gabbayeh (Gabbeh) Rugs from Iran

Dear Barry, - 03/29/2000

I found your name on the Internet, needless to say. I'm investigating buying a Gabbayeh rug from Iran. Do you have information on those rugs?

What to look for, price,history. Thanks.
Carol M.
(American living in Switzerland)

Hello Carol,

I spell it Gabbeh but it is the same thing. It means a long piled sleeping rug that was made by the villagers and tribes people in the Zagros Mountain area near Shiras Iran. For at least the last 2,300 hundred years people have been making long pile sleeping rugs as their beds. About 20 years ago these got popular with collectors and as a decorator item. The earliest commercial Gabbehs where simplistic rugs woven with undyed wool in shades from off-white to chocolate brown. They were popular and many weavers who were making commercial village rugs switched to Gabbehs. Then Zollanvari a German or Swiss Compny organized the production and we began to see wonderfully creative new style Gabbehs. But I still see some very inexpensive village Gabbehs so we have all price ranges from simple village to designer to antique. I am not clear what you are looking for so let me know and I will narrow the focus. Especially since the price ranges from $20 a square foot to over $200.

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Hope this is a little help.

Best wishes,
Barry