Tribal carpets are made in traditional designs for traditional uses, primarily individuals and their families. These carpets are constructed on collapsible, horizontal looms and thus are often smaller (narrower) than village or city carpets. They are distinctive for their simplistic, dramatic colour schemes and angular designs. Most designs are passed down from generation to generation and are often executed from memory, usually consisting of repeated motifs. Due to the itinerant nature of these tribes, dyeing and weaving are often started in one place, disrupted when the tribe travels and finished in another location, resulting in uneven coloration and sometimes lopsided designs and shapes however this doesn’t detract the beauty of the carpet. Each carpet is made entirely unique, reflecting the personality, customs and aesthetics of the weaver. The value of the tribal Persian carpet is therefore usually linked to the time and effort made to create it. The quality and availability of the materials also contribute to the value of the carpet, given that the tribes may not be able to get the same materials in different locations.

Each tribe employs different tribal motifs and patterns and each carpet is a testament to its tradition. Tribal carpet designs have an ancient lineage. The symbols found in tribal rugs and tribal weavings predates the symbolism found in some of the existing revealed religions, as proven by anthropological and archeological evidence. They include trees, snakes, dragons, birds, flowers, deconstructed and abstracted humans, geometric patterns and other elements. These symbols are not just purely decorative but can be traced back to centuries ago when they were first used to signify, represent or record important events or ideas that occurred. Some of these symbols also became more abstract as time passed.

Tribal Persian carpets even when woven for commercial purposes, by now sedentary tribes that no longer follow the nomadic life, still retain their identity of purpose. That is, each rug is made for specific use such as a prayer rug, the eating rug, the front door rug etc. Even commercial tribal carpets retain their identity of use. The most famous carpet-producing tribes are Baluchi, Qashgai, Shahsovan and Afshari.

The Orientalist’s intricate relationships with the tribes and villages mean we can provide an unsurpassed selection from very diverse regions.