10x13 Modern Gabbeh Rug | Heathered Grey Field, Polychrome Tribal Motifs | Brand New

This modern Gabbeh is a hand-knotted floor rug from Pakistan in a generous 10x13 size, brand new and never walked on. Where the old tribal Gabbeh kept things spare and simple, this one goes the other way. A heathered grey ground carries a joyful, crowded field of little trees, blossoms and folk symbols worked in nearly every color a dye pot can hold. It reads as playful and contemporary while staying fully handmade, tied knot by knot in wool. Every rug we ship carries a certificate of authenticity. If you have been after a large 10x13 area rug with real character, this one has more than most.

Design and Motifs

The field is laid out in loose horizontal registers that never quite repeat. Slender trees of life rise from small footed bowls and vases, their branches hung with tiny fruit and rows of little window-like boxes. Between them sit large multi-armed rosettes and star medallions, some open and floral, others tight and geometric. Look closer and the ground keeps filling with incident: potted flowering shrubs, small arched niches, scattered diamonds and lozenges, and rows of tiny hearts tucked between the bigger forms. There is no border at all. The pattern runs straight out to the selvage, which gives the whole rug the free, all-over feel of true tribal weaving rather than a formal city layout.

Color and Palette

Color is the real reason to own this one. The ground is a soft heathered grey shot through with mauve and lavender, streaked with the gentle abrash that comes from hand-dyed wool. Set against it, the weaver has reached for the full spectrum: turquoise and teal, tomato red and coral, rose, magenta and blush pink, buttery yellow and gold, sage and lime green, sky and cobalt blue, cream and ivory, with touches of brown and deep aubergine for weight. Nothing shouts, because the grey field mutes and ties everything together, so the effect is festive but soft, much closer to a faded vintage palette than a bright brand new one.

Origin and Weave

This is an honest modern piece, hand-knotted in Pakistan, where a great deal of the world's finest contemporary hand-knotted work is now made. Gabbeh began as a thick, boldly simple tribal weave, and this rug keeps that free-spirited character while packing in far more detail and color than a traditional example would ever attempt. At roughly 120 to 140 knots per square inch it is a sturdy, medium-fine hand-knotted Oriental rug built for real use, with a plush wool pile that only softens underfoot as the years go by.