Doe and Hope

Description

This type of bag, traditionally used for storing personal possessions or indeed salt, but also sometimes as a cushion stuffed with feathers. The Qashqai nomadic tribes of the Fars province in southwestern Iran weave these pieces with an assured dexterity and skill.

They are not normally made for export, but for domestic use that is the reason they are often carefully and beautifully made, and they can be very decorative. The front face is carpet and the reverse is usually Kilim.

This beautiful piece has a traditional feel to it and the deep reds, blacks and indigos are testament to this. The bag features the ‘running dog’ key medallion to the center which is offset to that of the field in striking beige. The fringe bands are quite unusual on this example, they match and are in stylized ‘S’ serpent shapes. There are also some nice brightly coloured touches to the top opening of the bag. The reverse is pitched in black with horizontal bands of deep and bright red. This piece has some loose threads that can easily be tidied.

These bags have a multitude of uses that could include using the piece as a cushion, a small rug, a beautiful wall hanging or as a personal storage bag as the maker probably intended. A small price to pay for a very useable and versatile work of art.