Lori | 310 x 201 cm | Nr. Z-2132

Chequered Lori, black with plain border

Origin	Pakistan
Dimensions	310 cm x 201 cm (= 6.231 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	120.000
Pile height	10mm
Year of manufacture	2022
Colour	Black, Golden beige
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Lori rugs are a finer version of the Gabbeh, which was traditionally knotted by the Lurs. The Lurs are a tribal people in south-western Persia (also known as Loristan). Lori (or Luri) rugs are also referred to as Loribaft. The added syllable "baft" means roughly "knotted". Translated, Loribaft therefore means Lur knotting.

Lori rugs traditionally have inventive geometric patterns in colourful designs. Modern Loris are usually plainer these days, with monochrome designs. Even so, you still come across traditional, stylised and geometric motifs from everyday nomadic life, such as goats, camels, dogs, plants or people. The geometric pattern and the friendly colours create a pleasant, warm atmosphere at home.

Pattern

The plain black field is framed by a border in black. That gives the rug depth, despite its relatively restrained design.

The chequered pattern wins you over with its contrasts and yet stays restrained. Anyone who loves symmetry and structure will take to this rug.

The surface of this Lori has a mottled look. The shifts in tone and the light-and-dark shading of the pile yarn make the colours shimmer and keep the rug forgiving when it comes to dirt. These so-called colour shifts, or abrash, make the rug look livelier. The mottling comes about because the wool of this Lori was hand-spun. During dyeing, the natural pigments are absorbed to differing degrees.

Material

This hand-knotted Lori rug has a dense, relatively high pile. The sheep's wool used for the pile of Lori rugs is especially fine and rich in lanolin. Lori rugs are very cosy and hard-wearing. Traditionally, Lori rugs – just like the Gabbeh – were used for sleeping on. They invite you to sit and lounge about in the living room, but they are equally at home in hallways and dining areas. The sheep's wool pile of Lori rugs is dyed with natural colours and hand-spun. That is what gives Loris their soft surface. Hand-spun wool is always a little irregular. During dyeing, the natural pigments are absorbed to differing degrees. The rug looks livelier for it, with so-called colour shifts, or abrash, meaning light and dark shadings of colour. These shifts in the tone of the pile yarn always run across the length of the Lori and keep the rug forgiving when it comes to dirt. The weft and warp threads of this Lori are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly suitable for a hard-wearing foundation.