The dyed variety of Gabbeh, the thick-piled, simply drawn tribal rug of Fars province. Because the weavers dye the wool, any palette is possible, from reds, blues and greens to yellows, and the strong colors usually go with bold, abstract designs of trees, animals and people. The counterpart is natural Gabbeh, woven from undyed white and black wool in cream, brown, gray and black tones.
A province in southwestern Iran that includes the city of Shiraz and is home to many weaving tribes and settled villages. Its best-known rugs are Gabbeh, thick-piled and simply drawn, woven by the province's tribes and villagers, and the tribal Shiraz rugs, sold through the Shiraz bazaar, whose patterns blend those of neighboring weaving groups such as Abadeh and the Qashqai.
A rug from Fars province in Iran, first documented in the 1600s, about 400 years ago, and woven by the region's tribes and settled villagers on a wool or goat-hair foundation (rarely cotton), with a long, thick, 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, usually on a cream ground. Typical sizes are about 3-4 by 6-7 ft (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.
Rugs woven by local tribes in and around Shiraz in Fars province, southwestern Iran, in their own homes and sold at the local bazaar. Weavers settling in the area bring their home regions' patterns, giving a hybrid of Abadeh and Qashqai styles: geometric single or repeating medallions or all-over layouts, sometimes with boteh, in strong reds and browns lifted by cream, yellow, blue and green. The wool pile sits on a cotton foundation, which packs tighter, or a wool one, which is looser; density is low to medium, about 120 knots per square inch (roughly 186,000 per square meter).