Turkmen rugs of Iran: gul designs from Golestan

Who weaves them

Turkmen groups such as the Yomut and Tekke live in north-east Iran, around Gonbad-e Kavus and the Turkmen Sahra in Golestan province.

Designs

Rows of guls, lobed or stepped octagons, on deep red grounds are typical. Each group traditionally used its own guls.

Construction

Many Iranian Turkmen rugs have wool foundations and fine knotting; both knot types occur.

• Deep red grounds
• Repeating guls
• Wool foundation on older pieces
• Fine, short pile

Turkmen and 'Bokhara'

'Bokhara' is a trade name for gul-design rugs made in many countries. It is not evidence of Iranian or Turkmen work; ask where the rug was woven.

Buying checklist

• Ask the seller what the regional name is based on: town, village group or design only
• Turn the rug over and look at knot type, warp colour and weft count
• Check ends, sides and pile height for wear or re-weaving
• Ask whether dyes have run or been chemically washed
• Ask specifically whether the rug was woven in Iran, as gul designs are made in many countries
• Get any claim about age, region or handmade origin in writing

Care

Deep reds can bleed if washed carelessly. Leave washing to a specialist.

A note on this guide

This is general information from the CraftPersia editorial team and has not been reviewed by a specialist. Regional names in the rug trade are market labels, and design alone is weak evidence of origin. This guide is not a valuation or authentication.