Afghan War Rugs - History and Art

Recent years have seen a rise in the interest in old tribal rugs. Afghan War Rugs are very important in the history and development of rug weaving and are notably unique items of ethnic art. These rugs are an artistic narrative, a picture record of one last act of aggression carried out by the Soviet Union during its history; an event which was to contribute towards the fall of the Soviet empire and the subsequent change in direction of world affairs.

Come Sample Our Selection of Afghan Rugs

The commercial production of war rugs has been successful and finds a ready market, mainly in Europe and the USA. This has encouraged the weavers to produce new styles of war rugs - responding to the politics of the region. One notable range has been the ‘Alliance’ war rugs, showing designs of British/American military equipment, textual messages and war scenes, similar to those we see on Afghan War rugs. With the current world interest in all things ‘Afghanistan’ war rugs have become popular and desirable items to own, or collect. Market prices for them are bound to rise as they are given a broader exposure in the world of collecting. Furthermore, each rug can be seen as an individual portrayal of War, seen or experienced by tribal people and woven into history, mainly by the womenfolk of Afghanistan. Cumulatively they represent an irreplaceable record of a major 20th century event, expressed through the art of weaving.

Below is a small sample of the Afghan War rugs in our store; click on a rug for a larger image.

Sizes Available 2' x 3' 3' x 5'