Firuzabad

Firuzabad provides a geographical entry point to parts of Fars where household weaving is discussed alongside pastoral histories. That context should not turn private homes or mobile households into tourist attractions assumed to be open on demand. Community identity, residence and weaving practice can change over a person's life; a published photograph captures only one moment.

Published photographs of Qashqai floor looms near Firuzabad document particular households at particular moments. They do not identify every textile sold under a Qashqai label, demonstrate that all makers use the same equipment or guarantee current access to the people shown. Retain the source's location wording rather than assigning a more precise village or household without evidence.

Observe the relationship between loom frame, warp direction, working position and the textile already formed. A still image can help locate the activity within a household setting, but it cannot independently identify every fibre or establish the complete construction sequence. The reverse of a finished textile and a maker's explanation supply information that the photograph lacks.

Pile, flatweave and supplementary patterning require different descriptions. Do not identify a structure from a community label or a geometric pattern alone. Ask how the design is made and whether the object was woven by the person discussing it. A maker may also sell relatives' work or textiles supplied through a market network.

Motifs move between households, generations and markets. Small animals, stepped forms or a bold palette can be useful visual observations, but cannot prove a Qashqai attribution. Community names should not be treated as quality grades or a guarantee of natural dyes. A direct maker account and structural documentation offer a stronger basis for describing a new textile.

For older work, keep collection history, proposed weaving origin and later dealer attribution separate. A bag face removed from its back may lose evidence about closure and use. Photograph the complete object where it survives and state missing parts explicitly. Wear may help explain use, but cannot independently date the textile.

Agree on visits through a current local contact and obtain consent for photographs, names and recorded explanations. Permission to take a photograph is not automatically permission to publish a personal biography. Let a maker describe their work without forcing it into a romantic story of unchanged nomadic life.

For a purchase, retain maker, production location, technique, fibres and the date of the account. Photograph both faces, ends and joins, and ask about repairs or added lining. The source image remains a historical/documentary illustration, not proof of current sale availability. Transport and conservation decisions should follow the textile's actual condition.