A rug from Fars province in Iran, woven by the region's tribes and settled villagers on a wool or goat-hair foundation (rarely cotton), with a long, dense wool pile that is not clipped short. Its low knot density gives simple, bold designs in which trees, animals and people become abstract geometric shapes. Color Gabbeh is dyed in any hue, often strongly, while natural Gabbeh uses undyed white and black wool in cream, brown, gray and black tones. Typical sizes are about 3-4 by 6-7 feet (0.9-1.2 by 1.8-2.1 m). Finer city-woven versions come from Shiraz, and very fine, heavy pieces are sometimes called Qashqai, though they are not true Qashqai rugs.
Tribal rugs woven by the Qashqai, a nomadic tribe of southwestern Iran that unites Turkic, Arab, Kurdish and Lur groups and has lived in the region since at least the 16th century. Designs come from memory rather than written plans, pairing geometric and medallion layouts with animals, plants and household objects in jewel-tone reds, gold and indigo, often on deep red or dark navy grounds. The wool pile is durable yet soft and sits on a cotton or wool foundation, and because the looms are compact enough to move with the tribe, sizes stay small, typically 4 x 6 ft (1.2 x 1.8 m) or 5 x 7 ft (1.5 x 2.1 m) plus runners.