The field guide · Motifs

Lion rug (gabbeh-ye shiri) گبه شیری

A lion rug (gabbeh-ye shiri) has a lion as its main motif. Most surviving examples were woven by Qashqai and Bakhtiari weavers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Many weavers, usually women, worked from imagination, which is why lions appear in red, green or black, often with human-looking faces. The lion has long been a Persian emblem of royalty and power.

Also lion gabbeh · Lions · gabba-ye shiri · shiri

See also Animals and figures, Pictorial rug

Last reviewed

Lion rug: a detail of Qashqai Lion Persian Gabbeh
Detail from Qashqai Lion Persian Gabbeh →
In the collection

Lion rug, in the collection.

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