Afghan Rugs
Afghan rugs are created by nomadic people in the areas around Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. It is for this reason they are generally small rugs, as they are woven for tents as the people that create them often travel from place to place.
Afghan Carpets
Afghan rugs stick to strict Islamic principles, and so lack human and animal figures. These mats are geometric in style. Synthetic dyes have been seen in Afghan carpets since the 1950s.
Afghan War Rugs
The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979 led to the creation of a new style of Afghan carpet, known as the Afghan war rug. These rugs are not in the geometric of traditional Afghan rugs, but instead depict imagery from war. Common images include helicopters, guns and tanks.
The images on the Afghan war rugs have become less symbolic, and more overt, perhaps as a result of commercialisation as these rugs are popular with Westerners. It is likely originally they were created as a protest to the Soviet invasion.
More recently, Afghan war rugs began to depict imagery from the World Trade Centre attacks. These rugs often sell well at American military bases. These rugs may be based on American propaganda leaflets which were given to the Afghan people to explain the reasons for the invasion.
Afghanistan Rugs
Traditional Afghan rugs are also still popular, and there are two main classifications: Afghan Turkoman and Baluch carpets. Within each of these areas there are many nomadic tribes, each having their own carpet traditions.
Turkoman Rugs
Afghan Turkoman rugs are created by the women of many different nomadic tribes in the north of the country. Most rugs are produced by the Ersari tribe, which is a large group subdivided into clans. Each clan has its own individual motifs and designs.
Chemical dyes are in common use Afghan rugs, although there has been a recent resurgence in natural dyes. Reds, browns, yellows and blue are the prominent colours of Turkoman rugs.
Bukhara Carpets
The two best known Afghan Turkoman carpets are the elephant’s foot, or ‘fil poi’ design, and the Bukhara pattern. The Bukhara pattern consists of a small gul, which is an octagonal design in the shape of a rose.
Baluch Rugs
Baluch carpets are created by several nomadic tribes and carpets are made nearly entirely from wool. Many Afghan war rugs are referred to as Baluch war rugs. These rugs are made only by the women of the area.
Baluch nomads often create prayer rugs with geometric motifs. Colours include dark brown, charcoal, rust and black. The rugs are not always perfectly square or rectangular, and the designs are not always completely symmetrical. This is due to the nomadic nature of the manufacture.
Today, because of the political tension in Afghanistan most rugs are exported from Pakistan, but before the Soviet occupation Afghan carpets were a major export. Many Afghan rugs are created in Pakistan by refugees.