Craft comparison

Under review

Gabbeh vs Kilim (Gelim)

گبه · گلیم

Gabbeh: A thick, coarsely knotted pile rug woven mainly by pastoral and village weavers of the Zagros, with open fields, few motifs and a directly personal design language. Kilim (Gelim): A flat, pileless woven textile made across Iran by interlocking or slit-weaving coloured weft threads over a warp, used as floor covering, storage bag, saddle cover and tent divider depending on region.

Side by side

GabbehKilim (Gelim)
Persian nameگبهگلیم
CategoryTextiles · Pastoral pileTextiles · Flatweave
Materialswool, natural-dyeswool, cotton
Techniquesknotted-pile-weavingflatweave-weaving
Regionsshiraz, sistan-baluchestanshiraz, kerman, sistan-baluchestan, yazd
Periodsqajar, pahlavi, contemporaryqajar, pahlavi, contemporary
Motifsboteh, gereh-geometricgereh-geometric
Current vitalityLiving traditionLiving tradition

What they share

  • Materials: wool
  • Regions: shiraz, sistan-baluchestan
  • Motifs: gereh-geometric
  • Periods: qajar, pahlavi, contemporary

How to tell them apart

  • Materials such as natural-dyes point towards Gabbeh.
  • Materials such as cotton point towards Kilim (Gelim).
  • Gabbeh typically involves knotted-pile-weaving.
  • Kilim (Gelim) typically involves flatweave-weaving.
  • The stated place of making is a useful clue, but never proof on its own.

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Disclaimer

This comparison is educational and built from entries still under review. It cannot confirm what a particular object is.