Antique Belutsch | 267 x 151 cm | Nr. Z-1202

Antique Belutsch

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Persia
Dimensions	267 cm x 151 cm (= 4.03 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: wool
knots	420.000
Year of manufacture	1930
Condition	pre-owned, cleaned & partially restored
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Belutsch is a rug provenance in the region between Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Belutsch rugs (also Belutsch, Beloutch, Beluch, Baluch, Belutch, Balouch, Baloutche or Balúchi) are made by semi-nomads and nomads. Originally, Belutsch rugs were knotted exclusively by the Baluch nomads. Today, however, a number of other tribes knot Belutsch rugs as well. The patterns tend to be geometric and the palette is kept in shades of red and brown. Mostly small rugs and mats are produced, as these are also used by the nomads themselves and are easier to transport.

This antique Belutsch is a collector's piece. It is around 96 years old, and that alone makes it a truly special rug. Antique rugs such as this Antique Belutsch are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Material

The technique used to make the materials for the pile of this Antique Belutsch is more than 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant dyes is more involved, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical colours. For a luminous red, for example, you need around one kilo of ground madder root as dyestuff per kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale, you even need two kilograms of dyer's weld per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is just as time-consuming and labour-intensive. On top of that, fewer and fewer people still know how to spin wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyeing with natural colours allows the high-quality wool to keep its natural oil content. Wool that has been dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shimmering patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, comes into its own as a contrast in modern interiors, but equally in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style.

The foundation (weft and warp threads) of this Antique Belutsch is made of new wool.

Condition

This Antique Belutsch has a story to tell. It was knotted around 1930. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good, though only partly restored, condition. The pile is worn in places. Parts of the border are missing along one side. The fringes could do with a repair. We have not fully restored this Antique Belutsch, because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course gladly take the restoration further for you. We can return almost any rug to near-perfect condition.