Kurdish rug

Using thick lustrous wool and vibrant natural vegetal dyes this Kurdish long rug from Northwest Persia draws a frame of narrow striped borders in complimentary contrasting sky-blue and terra-cotta orange. The narrow field consists of repeating rows of two distinctive forms of geometric design incorporating both abstract foliage and quartered octagons. These motifs radiate against a dark brown ground. This contrast is furthered by the fact that the brown, secured with an iron mordant, is naturally corrosive and lends a slight sculptural effect to the field.