A Qashqa'i Soumak Large Single Mafrash Panel, South Persia, Second Half 19th Century “In wool and cotton

A QASHQA'I SOUMAK LARGE SINGLE MAFRASH PANEL, SOUTH PERSIA, SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY “In wool and cotton. The front of the bag is formed of horizontal bands with alternating content, one with reciprocal bird heads, the other with small octagons containing radial forms. Minor bands have diagonal bars. The main border is a continuous diamond pattern in varying colours on a white background. Guards are in a two-colour zig-zag or a diagonal two coloured bar pattern (sides). The entire surface is covered with extra-weft wrapping (soumak), simple in the ground areas but countered in the decorative elements. The white weft soumak ground areas are in cotton. Warps are in brown or natural ivory wool. The exception is a single row of chequerboard weft-float brocading forming the lower border of the closure region that is partly missing. Below this is a countered double row of weft twining. The sides are made up of two cords with simple overcasting in brown wool, perhaps original. The ends are in a two-colour diagonal band pattern.” (Benjamin, op.cit., LITERATURE: 3rd ed., 2004, pp. 90-91 “This is probably the side panel of a mafrash bedding bag. It could be Luri but more likely to be Qashga’i. A very striking piece.” (Benjamin, op.cit., p. 90)