QASHQA'I RUG

Qashqa'i also spelled Kashgai, floor covering handwoven by the Qashqa'i tribe, known as the best rug from the Shiraz district of Iran. They are the brightest in colouring, with rich blues and reds and some use of golden yellow. Usually their designs are geometric, perhaps with a row of three diamond medallions against a background replete with tiny forms of all kinds, including stylized animals and birds. Because the designs are reminiscent of Caucasian rugs, as are the Ghiordes knotting on an all-wool foundation and the general mosaic effect, the tribe has been thought to have a Caucasian origin. Mecca-Shiraz is a dealers' term for such rugs, with little apparent reason.