2.2 x 1.6 Antique QashQa’i Bag Face Pillow, Southwest Persia, Circa 1900
In the 19th century, the QashQa’i tribe inhabited the area near the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, located in southwest Persia. They were renowned for weaving the finest rugs of all Persian tribal groups, not just those in the south of Persia which included the Bakhtiari, Khamseh, Afshar and Luri groups, but also including Kurdish, Luri and Shah Savan tribal weavers in northwest and north central Persia.
This pillow was made from the front section, referred to as a “bag face”, of an antique QashQa’i bag. Given the rectangular shape, this might have been a tent bag rather than a saddle bag. It is quite finely woven, with a pliable handle and superb wool. This QashQa’i bag face features glowing natural dyes and a design reflecting the idiosyncratic stylized motifs and abstract forms for which QashQa’i rugs and bags are famous.
The pillow features a green velvet back.
