Lori | 310 x 240 cm | Nr. Z-3257

Mottled Lori, light green with all-over pattern (finely drawn)

Origin	Pakistan
Dimensions	310 cm x 240 cm (= 7.44 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	160.000
Pile height	10mm
Year of manufacture	2024
Colour	Light green, Light brown
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

This Lori has a great deal of character. The intense, richly detailed pattern all but hypnotises the viewer. The repeating elements in the central field of this Lori rug have no particular centre (a so-called repeat pattern). The recurring pattern feels calming without ever becoming dull. Rugs with this repeat pattern are also described as all-over patterned.

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.

Light green and light brown dominate the overall impression.

Material

This hand-knotted Lori rug has a dense, relatively high pile. The sheep's wool used for the pile of Lori rugs is particularly fine and rich in natural lanolin. Lori rugs are wonderfully cosy and hard-wearing. Traditionally, Lori rugs – like the Gabbeh – were used for sleeping on. They invite you to sit and sprawl out in the living room, yet they are equally at home in hallways and dining areas. The sheep's wool pile of Lori rugs is hand-spun and dyed with natural colours. That is what gives the 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 more alive for it: so-called colour shifts occur, known as abrash – light and dark shadings within one colour. These changes of shade in the pile yarn always run across the length of the Lori and make the rug forgiving about dirt. The weft and warp threads of this Lori are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it especially well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.