Qashqai Shekarlu Persian Gabbeh Runner, c. 1970s

Shekarlu weavers of the Qashqai confederation created this charismatic Persian rug runner during the late-twentieth-century revival of natural-dye Gabbehs. A chain of stepped diamonds in undyed camel-hair marches down a softly lustrous cream ground, each lozenge edged with madder, walnut and indigo zigzags that echo the crenelated hills of Fars. The plush, hand-spun wool pile rises from equally rustic wool warps and wefts, giving the piece the blanket-like suppleness collectors prize in a true Gabbeh Persian carpet. Visual inspection confirms a vegetal palette: madder for crimson, indigo for midnight blue, weld-over-indigo for olive, and walnut husk for the deep brown outlines. Fresh, even pile and intact fringes promise decades of service, whether anchoring a hallway, warming a bedside, or layering over polished boards. A seasoned yet contemporary Persian rug that balances nomadic authenticity with minimalist design appeal.