Gabbeh Rugs-From Tents to Your Home-A History

I love Gabbeh area rugs. They have been my favorite rug since I started working at Luv-A-rug, here in Victoria BC, 3 years ago. Gabbehs are thick, plush and whimsical. I enjoy the traditional designs of random characters throughout the rug more so then the symmetrical designs.

The history of Gabbehs is rich and doesn't really have a starting point. The word Gabbeh loosely translated means bedding. The first mention of them is in the 16th century, but they were probably made for centuries before that. There is just no written proof of any earlier Gabbeh rugs.

The reason for lack of beginnings for the Gabbeh is because they were woven by Nomads who migrated in the summers to higher pastures with their livestock. The history of the tribe is woven in the rugs instead of on paper.

The Nomads made rugs to cover the floor of their tents that were easy to carry with them during their migration from the valley to mountains. Gabbehs are still made today in the same traditions. The designs are more symmetrical for today's rug buyer though.

They are made by the women who use the landscape and everyday life events to inspire their designs. Gabbeh rugs are woven in more daring colours then most hand knotted rugs because of the unrestricted nomadic lifestyle and because the rugs were made for personal use more so than commercial. That was until a Swedish furniture company mass produced them and sold them world wide.

Gabbeh rugs add a nice punch of colour to any room and are thick and plush. Gabbehs look like they were painted as there looks like brush strokes in the main body of the rug.

A few weeks ago we picked up two Gabbehs that belong to a local computer store owner. I was kinda hoping that they would forget about one of their rugs. It had a blue background with a single female character about 2/3 of the way up the rug. It looked like she was standing in the middle of an ocean because the background looked like waves.

When I look at a Gabbeh it is calming and intriguing. I try to figure out why the weaver used the characters and what story they are telling.

So next time you are in a Rug Gallery in Victoria or beyond that sells hand knotted rugs ask if they have any Gabbehs. They aren't everyone's taste, but everyone should see and touch a Gabbeh at least once.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, Your Victoria BC area rug cleaning and Gabbeh loving specialist!

Before you Spray Read On...

Miracle sprays, late night TV is full of them. You are mesmerized by the great results one little bottle can achieve.
But Wait!! There is more.
A Lot of those miracle spot removers advertised are for synthetic fiber rugs, not WOOL. Always check the label to see if it is safe for wool or has the wool symbol.

The leading OXYgen cleaner can do permanent damage to your wool rug. Yes it is a miracle fixer for your cotton clothes, not wool area rugs. The quick fix spot remover can lead to expensive repair costs.

This rug is a 9x12 foot Cream coloured British India (Indian Abusson) with a craved in design.

It had either cranberry juice or red wine spilled on it and now because of a miracle spray spot remover the rug has permanent yellow stains.



The spray did one of to things:

1. Removed the red spot and dyed the wool yellow through oxidation or
   
2. It bleached out the red spot to yellowish/brown spot.

Either way it was not the desired result by the owner.
They do have a few options:

• Live with the yellow spots

• Replace the rug

• Or get the whole rug dyed a new colour.

If the spots were one the end only we could trim the rug back, but there are yellow stains in the middle of the rug too. We are still waiting for the client to decide what they want to do. Not an easy decision when the rug is this big and fits their decor.

This does give the home owner a chance to redecorate the whole room differently though. Yes it would be more to redecorate than find a similar rug, but sometimes a new look is good too.

PLEASE read the label of any spot removers or cleaners you may have. If it doesn't say it is safe for wool do not use it.

Thanks for reading, RugloverMary, Your Victoria BC wool rug cleaning expert!