Luri or Qashqai chanteh with squares and diamonds

This is the third gabbeh chanteh,  and it is hard to know whether it is Luri or Qashqai. Given the coarse knotting, I'd guess Luri. It measures 15 by 16 cms, the dyes are natural as far as I can see, and it is in excellent condition. Like its companions, this chanteh is a real charmer, the kind of little bag that makes me want to collect more.

Luri or Qashqai chanteh with large boteh

A small purse with an archaic design, measuring 14 by 15 cms, this is the second of the three gabbeh chantehs that came from a dealer in the UK. As always with bags of this kind, one wonders if it was made by a child - its naive charm suggests that it probably was. Like its companions, the bag has age and is in fine condition.

Qashqai or Luri chanteh with wave design

The wave design in this tiny chanteh is said to symbolize water. One of three that I purchased from a dealer in the UK (actually one of four, but the fourth isn't South Persian), its colours and condition are delightful. It measures 14 by 16 cms.

Luri or Kurdish chanteh with figures

I don't know if this very appealing little bag, which measures 21 by 25 cms, is Luri or Kurdish. It could be either. It is neat and well balanced, the two figures unusual but not rare.  The back, with its out-of-kilter stripes, adds a pleasing element of informality to the whole. Purchased from a dealer in Holland.

Afshar spindle bag

Another well made and 'doubled-up' Afshar bag, this time in pile. A so-called 'spindle bag', its thin and vertical striped construction is basically the front of a khorjin that has been bent in half and sewn up on one side. Another smaller example, flatwoven, has been posted before. This one is also in great condition, with everything intact - including two buttons in one corner, the purpose of which is unclear to me. It measures 39 by 23 cms and was purchased from a dealer in Holland.

Afshar or Qashqai flatweave

I bought this beautifully woven weft-substitution bag from a collector in Germany, who described it as Qashqai. This may be so, but my feeling is that it is probably Afshar, to judge by the borders and its 'doubled-up' construction, which is more common in Afshari weavings than in those made by the Qashqai. No matter - unlike many of the bags in this collection, it is well-balanced and carefully judged in its design and craft. When I bought it, the bag was missing one of its three tassels, so I moved the central one to a corner.It measures 34 by 42 cms.

Afshar abstract gabbeh

This bag came from the same source in Holland as the last one, and it measures 35 by 29 cms. It reminds me of two other abstract pieces in the collection, and especially of a small pouch which I also believe to be Afshar. They both have cotton backs (and probably warps), an upright shape, and freehand designs. Some of the colours on the pile front of this piece have faded - which you only really notice if you look inside the bag - and they have actually improved in appearance. The back has faded too. I think that it is reasonably old, probably dating from the first decades of the 20th century.  

Small dark Luri or Afshar chanteh

This charming and mysterious little bag may be Luri, but I'm inclined to think that it is Afshar, because of its overall brown tones and the weave of the back. Purchased from a collector/dealer in Holland, it measures 18 by 25 cms.

Luri or Qashqai bag with lotus/sun motif

The lotus/sun motif is central to three bags in this blog, but this is the only one with branches or flowers extruding from it, and they look rather like the tulips that appear in other South Persian weavings. The orange colour, yet again, is interesting. It looks natural to me. the bag measures 30 by 35 cms. and was bought from a dealer in America.

Luri or Qashqai chanteh with five crosses

It's hard to be sure about the origins or age of this bag. All things considered, I'd opt for Qashqai, but the crosses are more usually found in Luri weavings. Like the last two bags, the dyes seems to be a mixture of natural and artificial, so it probably dates from the early decades of the 20th century. I enjoy the slight variations in the colouring of the crosses, and the protective 'eye' on the back. It measures 29 by 30 cms.

Qashqai chanteh with stars

This bag, the preceding one, and the next, were all purchased from the same dealer in Holland. Also Qashqai, this piece has a classic infinite 'star' design and is finely woven. The dyes, some of which are tip-faded, especially in the tassels, would suggest that it was made in the first half of the 20th century. The orange colour in the field, as is so often the case, is problematic. It may be natural, but it could just as easily be artificial. In any event, it doesn't detract from the bag's overall appeal. It measures 30 by 28 cms.

Qashqai with odd design

This is a fairly large personal bag, measuring 43 x 40 cms, and if it weren't for the cord that suggests it was used over the shoulder (it looks original), I'd have called it a 'khorjin'. The design is also offbeat, and although individual elements are almost recognisable, they're put together in a way that I haven't seen before. It was carefully woven, as can be seen from the border and the 'Qashqai' frieze at the top. Purchased from a dealer in Holland.

Gabbeh bag with star motif

With a gabbeh design that is on the verge of falling apart into chaos, this old Qashqai or Luri bag came from a dealer in Holland. The eight-pointed star - only six points are visible here -  is said to represent the sun. It measures 26 by 29 cms.

Luri or Qashqai with diamond motif and shift in border

A well-used small bag, Luri or Qashqai, older than the last few that I've posted. I really like the radical shift in the design of the border, and the archaic back. It measures 30 x 28 cms and came from a dealer in Holland.

Bakhtiari chanteh with unusual abstract motif

This is the third of the small group of thick and dense Bakhtiari chantehs that I bought from a dealer in America. I've never seen this design before. For some reason - perhaps just hasty weaving - the pile extends round the back and the selvedge starts an inch or two beyond it. A modern production, it measures 25 x 31 cms.

Bakhtiari chanteh with endless knot motif

This is the second of the three Bakhtiari (or Luri, perhaps) chantehs that I purchased from a dealer in America. Thick, dense, not old, but my feeling is that they were made for use, and not just for sale. 29 x 31 cms.

Luri or Bakhtiari bag with gabbeh features

This is one of three thick and roughly woven bags that I purchased inexpensively from an Iranian dealer in the US. They're not old, and are probably Bakhtiari. Some of the dyes have tip-faded, so they may have some age, but it's hard to be sure. They have vigour and gabbeh-like qualities, which lend them interest. This one measures 29 x 30 cms.

Green ground chanteh with botehs

Among the the more recent small bags that I've seen and handled, this is probably one of the most intriguing. The green ground is rare, and the deconstructed boteh motifs are scattered over it with true gabbeh abandon. Possibly Qashqai, it was brought to my attention by a friend who deals in Moroccan boucherouite rugs, and perhaps that isn't coincidental, because this chanteh has much in common with them. Most of the dyes, of course, are artificial, and it has the stiff quality that is characteristic of many modern productions. It measures 24 x 25 cms and was bought from a dealer in the US.

Flower and nightingale chanteh

The three-branched shrub motif is said to represent sunrise, noon, and sunset in Iranian mythology. The 'bolbol', or nightingale, is also a traditional motif in many rugs and carpets, although it is less common in bags. This recent and flamboyant Qashqai piece, full of colours derived from artificial dyes, measures 33 x 30 cms and was purchased from a collector in the US. Like many modern bags, it is densely woven and somewhat inflexible in its handling. 

Flatweave peacocks

This is a recent bag with a very traditional design of peacocks with deer or goats. It was interesting to discover, when it arrived, just how different new production is from old; the weaving is much coarser and brighter. Partly, of course, this is due to the chemical dyes, but somehow it  also seems more hurried, as though made with less conviction than in the past. Nonetheless, it has a certain charm.  Probably Qashqai, purchased from an Iranian dealer in the US, it measures 34 x 30 cms.

Afshar gabbeh

If I'm right in thinking that this gabbeh bag is Afshar, it is yet another example of that tribe's abundance of imagination when it comes to designing chantehs and other small weavings. I'm basing this attribution on the weave of the back, the use of cotton, and the rolled edge at the top. It is usual, when considering odd designs such as this one, to suggest that it was done by a child, but for some reason this seems too considered for that. I have another small bag, which I'd also call Afshar, which has some similarities with this one, and it will be posted soon. Measuring 28 by 30 cms, it was purchased from a dealer in Holland.

Afshar with herati pattern

Another well-used bag, this one typically Afshar in its shape, borders, and back. The classic herati pattern, on the other hand, is relatively uncommon on chantehs of this kind. Purchased from a dealer in Holland, it measures 25 by 38 cms.

Flatwoven bag with lion and sun motif

This is a very unusual and amusing bag, and it is hard to know what to make of it. I believe it is South Persian, possibly Qashqai, because of the pattern on the back, but this is only a guess. It isn't especially old, to judge by the number of artificial dyes among the colours, but there is a numeral in the top right corner, illegible to me, which is probably the date. The main motif, a lion with a sword,  pink-faced sun hovering behind it, is based on one of the main emblems of Iran. Birds, crudely embroidered, fill most of the rest of the space. It has been heavily used, so the long clean fringe is unexpected. Measuring 29 by 26 cms, it was bought from an Iranian dealer in America.  

Luri or Qashqai with diagonal stripes

A coarsely woven bag, probably Luri, with diagonal stripes. The shifts in the border are very attractive, at least to me, and the back is more beautiful than the front. It measures 35 x 35 cms, and was purchased from a dealer in Holland.

Afshar fragment

I'm very fond of this bag, although the UK dealer from whom I bought it couldn't wait to get rid of it. It's made from half a conventional Afshar boteh chanteh, patched with leather, stitched up the side, with two loops added to the back so it can hang from a belt. Presumably the original bag was damaged, and the best piece was retained and 'repurposed'. In format it is similar to the small 'tea' or 'money' bags, also made to attach to belts, that come from northern Iran. It measures 29 x 23 cms.