2.2 x 1.6 Antique QashQa’i Bag Face Pillow, Southwest Persia, Circa 1900

In the 19th century, the QashQa’i tribe inhabited the area near the city of Shirvan in Fars Province, located in southwest Persia. They were renowned for weaving the finest rugs of all Persian tribal groups, not just those in the south of Persia, including the Bakhtiari, Khamseh, Afshar and Luri groups, but including Kurdish, Luri and Shah Savan tribal weavers in northwest and north central Persia.

This pillow was made from the front section, referred to as a “bag face”, of an antique QashQa’i bag. Given the rectangular shape, this might have been a tent bag rather than a saddle bag. It is quite finely woven, with a pliable handle and superb wool. This QashQa’i bag face features glowing natural dyes and a design reflecting the idiosyncratic stylized motifs and abstract forms for which QashQa’i rugs and bags are famous.

The pillow features a green velvet back. Unlike pillows made from fragments, the value of this pillow derives from the value and quality of the bag face itself. The velvet backing could always be removed to return it to being simply a bag face for display on a wall or table.

Minor wear to pile.