This antique Shiraz rug / Mafrash is in excellent condition, cleaned, and not stained, the ends and bindings of the rug are intact as original and there have not been any repairs. There are no tears, breaks, or holes. The materials are from vegetable dyes wool piled over cotton foundation with leather accierisse. The pattern is geometric style. Cargo bag or Mafrash - bedding bags, the front, back, and side panels. Hand-knotted rug, mother and baby paisley repeating red and ivory, blue, within geometric motif secondary borders. Mafrash has been made in the largest numbers by Shahsevan tribal people and other groups in NW and across the border in Azerbaijan. Others were made in Georgia and Armenia. A majority are intricately woven soumak; others are slit-tapestry, sometimes with narrow contrasting soumak bands. Bags have been made by nomads for storage of bedding in their tents and for use as cargo bags. They were normally made in pairs which could be balanced over the backs of camels on migration. In the marketplace, Mafrash was woven in three parts and then assembled.
