Afghan Maimana Kilim Area Rug, Handwoven Wool, 5x8, Brown & Blush

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Description

A handwoven Maimana kilim from northern Afghanistan, worked entirely in undyed sheep's wool. Maimana, in Faryab province, is the flatweave … Read more A handwoven Maimana kilim from northern Afghanistan, worked entirely in undyed sheep's wool. Maimana, in Faryab province, is the flatweave heart of the country, and this piece carries the region's signature restraint — no synthetic colour anywhere in it.

The weave is slit-tapestry kilim, hand-spun wool on wool, flat and supple with no pile. The palette comes from the animals rather than a dye pot: chocolate and walnut browns, warm camel, soft taupe, a cool grey-lavender, blush, and ivory. The gentle shifts of tone across the field are abrash, the natural variation between batches of hand-spun yarn, and they give the surface a depth that a dyed rug cannot reproduce.

A column of five stepped diamond medallions runs the length of the field, framed by serrated zigzag lattice and a crisp ivory comb border. The outer bands carry eight-pointed star rosettes and hooked tribal motifs, closing at each end with a crenellated blush border and dark plain-weave finish with the original fringe intact.

The kilim is flat woven with no pile, so there is no pile wear. Selvedges and end finishes are intact, the fringe is original and complete, and the weave is even across the field with no holes, tears, or repairs. Clean and odour free.

Measuring 55 by 92 inches, it works under a dining table for four, at the foot of a queen bed, or layered over a larger jute or sisal rug. The undyed palette sits comfortably in warm minimalist, southwestern and organic modern rooms. See less