Antique Shahsavan horse blanket
NW Persia
around 1910
Size 180cm x 140cm
wool x wool
Horse blankets are among the most functional hand-woven materials used by nomads in north-west regions of Iran particularly by Shahsavan tribes. In addition to meeting the urgent daily needs such as carrying persons and utensils, horse rugs have been a vehicle in which the aesthetic aspects of the nomad weavers’ imagination have been reflected. Motifs originated from communal beliefs, individual tastes as well as imaginative fantasies depicted by vivacious colors have given Shahsavan Horse Rugs, aesthetically, a unique character.