Afshar sumak mafrash panel

This elongated piece, woven in the sumak technique, was one of two long side panels of a six-sided ‘mafrash’ storage bag. These elongated woven cubes, especially sumak varieties, are more typically associated with Northwest Persian tribal weavers. The Afshar migrated from this region, so it is likely that this object type was brought with them to south Persia. While the drawing of the pinwheel, or ‘sirga,’ border and the small elements of the field might be mistaken for Shahsevan work, the outer diagonal striped border is something much more common among Afshar and east Persian tribal weavings. The autumnal palette, combining ochre tones, terra cotta, deep indigo, and green, is also quintessentially Afshar.