Neriz rug

The distinctive red field of this Afshar rug, woven in the Jiroft region of southeastern Persia, is derived from scale insects; either cochineal, or more likely, imported Indian lac. While lac was used throughout the 19th century in southeast Persian workshop carpets, such as those of Kerman, it is surprisingly much less commonly used by Afshar tribal weavers in the same region. The field design of this piece alternates two iconic blossom types, interspersed by a horizontal oscillating vine-scroll. While this configuration certainly recalls border designs, it may also be considered a regional homage to Persian mina-khani design.