Sell Your Qashqai Rug —
Tribal Weaves, Expertly Valued
The Qashqai are among the greatest weavers of nomadic Persia, and their rugs are prized for glowing wool, natural dyes and endlessly inventive tribal design. If you have one to sell, we buy Qashqai and Kashkuli rugs of every age and condition — at fair market prices, with no fees and no obligation.
What Is a Qashqai Rug?
A Qashqai rug is a hand-knotted tribal rug woven by the Qashqai, a Turkic-speaking nomadic confederation of the Fars province in south-west Iran, near the city of Shiraz. Traditionally made on a wool foundation with lustrous local wool and natural dyes, Qashqai rugs are known for glowing colour, pole medallions and fields crowded with small tribal motifs.
For centuries the Qashqai migrated each year between winter pastures near the Persian Gulf and summer grazing high in the Zagros mountains. Their rugs were woven on portable horizontal looms during these journeys, which is why classic Qashqai pieces are usually rugs and runners rather than the enormous room-size carpets produced in city workshops such as Tabriz or Kashan. What they lack in scale they make up for in character: no two are ever quite alike.
Because they belong to the broader family of tribal Persian rugs, Qashqai weaves reward exactly the qualities collectors most admire — spontaneity, honest materials and a design language handed down through generations rather than drawn from a cartoon. That combination is why a good antique Qashqai can be considerably more sought-after than a mass-produced decorative carpet many times its size.
How to Recognise a Genuine Qashqai
Identify a Qashqai by turning it over: look for an all-wool foundation, a barber-pole selvedge of alternating colours down the sides, and dense, lustrous wool. The design usually shows one or more hooked pole medallions surrounded by scattered boteh, diamonds, birds and animals, all worked in glowing madder red, indigo blue and ivory.
City rugs are typically knotted on a cotton foundation, which feels firm and pale on the reverse. Tribal Qashqai rugs, by contrast, were woven from the materials the weavers had to hand — so the warp and weft are wool, and the back has a softer, more supple feel. This single detail is one of the quickest ways to separate a true nomadic Qashqai from a workshop copy.
A few further hallmarks help confirm origin and point to quality:
- Selvedge: the sides are often wrapped in two or more colours, creating the distinctive "barber-pole" edge.
- Ends: a band of kilim flatweave, sometimes with a woven tribal signature or a row of tassels.
- Wool: the glossy, resilient wool of the Fars flocks takes dye beautifully and gives Qashqai rugs their characteristic sheen.
- Motifs: pole medallions, the boteh (paisley), the "Tree of Life", stylised chickens, gazelles, lions and human figures scattered joyfully across the field.
- Abrash: gentle horizontal colour shifts where a new batch of hand-dyed wool was introduced — a sign of authentic village dyeing, not a flaw.
The table below sets out how a Qashqai differs from a city rug and from a coarser village weave — a comparison our specialists make on every piece we assess.
| Feature | Qashqai (tribal) | City rug (e.g. Kashan) | Gabbeh (village) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Wool warp & weft | Cotton | Wool |
| Knot density | Moderate to fine | Very fine | Coarse |
| Design | Pole medallion, scattered motifs | Curvilinear floral medallion | Bold, minimal, open field |
| Typical size | Rug & runner | Up to room-size | Small to medium |
Qashqai Sub-Tribes and Why Kashkuli Rugs Command More
The Qashqai confederation is made up of several sub-tribes, and the weave differs between them. Kashkuli rugs are the finest, with the highest knot counts and the most refined drawing, so they sit at the top of the market. Amaleh, Shesh Boluki and Darreh Shuri weaves are also collected, each with its own palette and repertoire of motifs.
Knowing which sub-tribe produced a rug matters because it directly influences value. A finely knotted Kashkuli boteh rug and a robust Darreh Shuri medallion rug are both authentic Qashqai, yet they appeal to different buyers and reach different price levels. Part of our job is to read those tribal fingerprints correctly, so your offer reflects what your rug genuinely is.
| Sub-tribe | Known for | Collector note |
|---|---|---|
| Kashkuli | Fine weave, boteh & millefleurs | Highest value grade |
| Darreh Shuri | Bold medallions, strong colour | Popular decorative pieces |
| Shesh Boluki | Classic pole-medallion layouts | Well-balanced traditional weaves |
| Amaleh | Varied tribal repertoire | Ranges from simple to fine |
Send us a close photo of the reverse and the boteh detail. We will tell you honestly whether your rug reaches Kashkuli grade — and what that means for its value — as part of a free, no-obligation valuation.
What Affects the Value of a Qashqai Rug
The factors our specialists weigh on every Qashqai we assess.
The value of a Qashqai rug is driven above all by age and dye. Antique pieces coloured with natural madder and indigo, woven in glossy wool with confident tribal drawing, sit far above later commercial rugs made with synthetic dyes. Knot density, sub-tribe, size, rarity of design and condition then refine the figure.
Age
Pre-1930 Qashqai rugs with genuine nomadic character attract the strongest collector demand.
Dyes
Soft, natural madder and indigo that have mellowed with age far outvalue harsh synthetic colours.
Wool
The lustrous, resilient wool of the Fars flocks gives the best Qashqai rugs their glow.
Weave & Tribe
A finer knot and a prized sub-tribe such as Kashkuli both lift value markedly.
Design
Pictorial, animal and millefleurs rugs are scarcer and more desirable than plain repeats.
Size
Large antique Qashqai carpets are uncommon, so generous examples carry a premium.
Condition
Even pile and sound ends help, though great age and rarity can offset honest wear.
Provenance
Family history, old receipts or dealer labels can meaningfully raise a rug's value.
Dye analysis deserves special mention. The single most useful thing you can learn about a tribal rug is whether its colours are natural or synthetic — our guide to natural versus synthetic dyes explains the tell-tale signs, and it is often the difference between a modest decorative value and a genuine collector's price.
What Your Qashqai Might Be Worth
As a broad UK guide, later synthetically dyed Qashqai rugs sell for tens to a few hundred pounds; good vintage pieces for several hundred; and antique natural-dyed examples from around £800 upward. Fine antique Kashkuli, pictorial and rare large Qashqai carpets can reach several thousand pounds. Every figure depends on inspection.
The indicative ranges below are a starting point only. Tribal rugs vary enormously, and two pieces of the same size can be worth very different sums depending on age, dye and weave. A precise figure always follows a proper look at your photographs.
| Type | Typical character | Indicative range (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Later commercial Qashqai | Post-1970, some synthetic dye | £80 – £300 |
| Good vintage Qashqai | Mid-century, sound wool | £300 – £900 |
| Antique Qashqai | Pre-1930, natural dyes | £800 – £3,000+ |
| Fine Kashkuli / pictorial / large | Rare, finely knotted | £3,000 – £10,000+ |
Indicative only and not a valuation. For a firm figure for your own rug, request a free assessment or read more about how rug valuations work.
How Our Qashqai Valuation and Buying Process Works
Four simple steps, all handled online until collection.
Selling your Qashqai takes four steps: photograph it, submit the photos and dimensions through our quote form, receive a fair written offer within 48 hours, and — if you accept — we arrange free insured collection and pay you by secure transfer. There is no fee at any stage and no obligation to accept.
Photograph Your Rug
In natural light, take the full front face, the reverse (which reveals the wool foundation and knotting), and a close detail of the pile, medallion and selvedge. Add a photo of any wear or repair.
Submit Your Details
Upload the photos with the dimensions (length × width), the approximate age if known, and any family history. The more you tell us, the sharper the offer.
Receive Your Offer
Our tribal-rug specialists review your Qashqai and respond within 48 business hours with a clear, market-rate figure and a plain explanation of how we reached it.
Collection & Payment
Accept and we book fully insured collection anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales. Payment is by secure bank transfer, usually on the day of collection.
Selling a Qashqai to Us vs Taking It to Auction
An auction can work for an exceptional Qashqai, but it means commission, buyer's premium, transport, weeks of waiting and no guaranteed sale. Selling directly to a specialist buyer gives you a firm figure now, no fees, insured collection and immediate payment. For most private sellers, a direct sale is simpler and nets a comparable or better result.
Auction houses deduct a seller's commission and often add fees for photography, storage and insurance, and there is always the risk your rug fails to sell and comes back to you weeks later. A direct sale removes that uncertainty. If you would like to weigh the two routes carefully, our guide comparing a rug auction versus a dealer sale sets out the trade-offs in detail.
| Sell to Heritage Rug Buyers | Auction house | |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | None | Commission + premiums |
| Certainty | Firm offer up front | May not sell |
| Speed | Paid within days | Weeks to months |
| Transport | Free insured collection | Your responsibility |
Why Sell Your Qashqai to Heritage Rug Buyers
We Know Tribal Rugs
We can read a wool foundation, place a sub-tribe and tell natural dye from synthetic — so your offer reflects exactly what your Qashqai is, not a flat rate.
Fair Market Prices
We price to the live collector and dealer market and explain every factor behind the figure, rather than the low numbers typical of a house clearance.
Free UK Collection
Fully insured collection across England, Scotland and Wales at no cost — no posting, no lugging a heavy rug to a saleroom.
No Fees, No Obligation
Our valuation is free, with no commission or premium. Decline our offer and you owe absolutely nothing.
Fast & Secure
A firm response within 48 hours and payment by secure bank transfer, usually on the day of collection.
Discreet & Honest
Your photos and details stay confidential. Private sellers and estates across the UK trust us for exactly that.