Rows of large floral güls — the octagonal elephant's-foot emblems of the Turkmen tribes — march across a deep madder-red field, each one quartered by a dark cross and filled with an eight-petalled flower in gold, ivory and indigo. Smaller stepped diamonds sit between them, and a banded elem skirt of diamond lattice closes each end, exactly as on the old Afghan tribal weavings.
The field is framed by a red border of stylised leaf-and-flower motifs with ivory and indigo guard stripes, finishing in kilim ends and fringe. Hand-knotted in Afghanistan by Ersari Turkmen weavers, it is densely woven from hand-spun wool with a firm, hard-wearing pile and natural dyes that give the madder its glowing depth.
The repeating gül is one of the oldest living designs in rug-weaving, each tribe keeping its own version like a coat of arms. Densely knotted and built to last for generations, this is a warm, grounding piece for a living or dining room and a genuine collector's heirloom. As a hand-made rug, it is one of a kind.
- Origin: Afghanistan
- Tradition: Ersari Turkmen gül repeat
- Type: Afghani Sherwan, hand-knotted
- Material: 100% hand-spun wool, natural dyes
- Pile: Firm, hand-clipped, with kilim ends
- Size: 210×308cm (Large)
- Colour: Deep madder-red field with floral güls
- SKU: AFGP 72036
- One-of-a-kind: yes