Iranian 'lion' and gazelle wall hanging
C.1970’s
176x151cm
Hand woven wool wall hanging/rug commissioned for a wealthy Iranian business man to have hung in his office.
The signature by the master weaver woven in.
Although lion rugs were originally produced for personal use amongst tribesmen and never for commercial purposes the lion symbol still represents bravery, patience, pride and elegance which are characteristics which have been upheld in Persian culture for millennia.
An extract from ‘Lion rugs, the lion in the art and culture of Iran’ by Parviz Tanavoli.
Published 1985
‘Although the ‘lions’ of these rugs resemble tigers, they are still called ‘lion rugs’ by the tribesmen of Iran. In Persian literature and popular culture the lion and leopard are clearly differentiated, but the tiger is usually confused with the leopard. This is because the leopard was and still is found in nearly every part of Iran but the tiger, which like the lion is no longer extant, was found only in northern Iran and parts of Fars Province’
‘The connection between the lion and water is a very close one. The lion functions as the guardian of water. In most places in Iran where water is present there is also the depiction of a lion.
‘The weavers of these lion rugs were the women and girls of the tribe, undoubtedly the hardest working women in Iran. Besides weaving, they were responsible for most of their familys affairs including cooking, child care and milking the herds. Although the lion image is a memorial to the bravery of the men, in my opinion these rugs are a good reflection of the nomadic women themselves. They do not simply weave the image of a lion, rather they pour their own personalities and femininity they retain despite the harshness of their life into their weaving.’
Slight stain in the right hand corner where the green has become slightly lighter in colour.
C.1970’s
176x151cm
Hand woven wool wall hanging/rug commissioned for a wealthy Iranian business man to have hung in his office.
The signature by the master weaver woven in.
Although lion rugs were originally produced for personal use amongst tribesmen and never for commercial purposes the lion symbol still represents bravery, patience, pride and elegance which are characteristics which have been upheld in Persian culture for millennia.
An extract from ‘Lion rugs, the lion in the art and culture of Iran’ by Parviz Tanavoli.
Published 1985
‘Although the ‘lions’ of these rugs resemble tigers, they are still called ‘lion rugs’ by the tribesmen of Iran. In Persian literature and popular culture the lion and leopard are clearly differentiated, but the tiger is usually confused with the leopard. This is because the leopard was and still is found in nearly every part of Iran but the tiger, which like the lion is no longer extant, was found only in northern Iran and parts of Fars Province’
‘The connection between the lion and water is a very close one. The lion functions as the guardian of water. In most places in Iran where water is present there is also the depiction of a lion.
‘The weavers of these lion rugs were the women and girls of the tribe, undoubtedly the hardest working women in Iran. Besides weaving, they were responsible for most of their familys affairs including cooking, child care and milking the herds. Although the lion image is a memorial to the bravery of the men, in my opinion these rugs are a good reflection of the nomadic women themselves. They do not simply weave the image of a lion, rather they pour their own personalities and femininity they retain despite the harshness of their life into their weaving.’
Slight stain in the right hand corner where the green has become slightly lighter in colour.
C.1970’s
176x151cm
Hand woven wool wall hanging/rug commissioned for a wealthy Iranian business man to have hung in his office.
The signature by the master weaver woven in.
Although lion rugs were originally produced for personal use amongst tribesmen and never for commercial purposes the lion symbol still represents bravery, patience, pride and elegance which are characteristics which have been upheld in Persian culture for millennia.
An extract from ‘Lion rugs, the lion in the art and culture of Iran’ by Parviz Tanavoli.
Published 1985
‘Although the ‘lions’ of these rugs resemble tigers, they are still called ‘lion rugs’ by the tribesmen of Iran. In Persian literature and popular culture the lion and leopard are clearly differentiated, but the tiger is usually confused with the leopard. This is because the leopard was and still is found in nearly every part of Iran but the tiger, which like the lion is no longer extant, was found only in northern Iran and parts of Fars Province’
‘The connection between the lion and water is a very close one. The lion functions as the guardian of water. In most places in Iran where water is present there is also the depiction of a lion.
‘The weavers of these lion rugs were the women and girls of the tribe, undoubtedly the hardest working women in Iran. Besides weaving, they were responsible for most of their familys affairs including cooking, child care and milking the herds. Although the lion image is a memorial to the bravery of the men, in my opinion these rugs are a good reflection of the nomadic women themselves. They do not simply weave the image of a lion, rather they pour their own personalities and femininity they retain despite the harshness of their life into their weaving.’
Slight stain in the right hand corner where the green has become slightly lighter in colour.