A handwoven Maimana kilim from northern Afghanistan on a deep indigo ground, worked with brilliant orange, crimson, emerald green, ivory and black. Maimana, in Faryab province, is the flatweave heart of the country, and this is its colour work at full strength.

The weave is flat and reversible, hand-spun wool with no pile, and the colour holds as strongly on the reverse as on the face. Each shade is its own clear hue, with gentle shifts across the ground from abrash, the natural variation between batches of hand-spun yarn.

Two enormous interlocking key medallions fill the indigo field, drawn in orange and crimson and locking together down the centre line, with small stepped rosettes in green, orange, black and white set into the ground between them. A wide crimson border carries rows of large hooked key motifs in orange, ivory, black and green, framed by a fine emerald sawtooth guard. Each end closes in a bold banded skirt of orange, crimson, indigo and black stripes above the original ivory fringe.

The kilim is flat woven with no pile, so there is no pile wear. The weave is even across the field, the selvedges and end finishes are intact, and the fringe is original and complete. Clean and odour free.

Measuring 81 by 117 inches, this is a generous living room size that will hold a full seating group with the front legs of the furniture on the rug, or a dining table for eight. The indigo and orange carry a room entirely on their own and work in bohemian, eclectic, mid-century and maximalist interiors, particularly against wood floors, leather and plain walls.


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Good

Origin:
Afghanistan

Materials & Techniques:
Wool

Details:
Pattern: Geometric
Country of Origin: Afghanistan
What type of item is it? Vintage / Antique / Used
Rug Construction: Flatweave

Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; Good