Quartz wrote about my history with collecting Afghanistan war rugs and the rise in popularity of drone images. Check it out here. It includes the Red, White, and Blue Drone Rug, the Predator Drone Rug, Red Rug 13, Abstract WTC 9/11 Afghan War Rug #2, Bomber Helicopter Style War Rug, the Beautiful Afghan Province Map Rug, and the WTC rug all of which can be explored in detail on Warrug.com.

NPR and The World also did a couple write ups on the subject. It’s nice to see War Rugs getting some interest in the public sphere.

Here is a map rug reminiscent of the early Iraq maps especially this great beauty of a silk iraq rug (more info about province rugs like these Iraq rugs or these Iraq rugs from 2003 or these map rugs with and without provinces), but this rug is apparently Iranian. It shows Iran with its provinces outlined and colored like the Iraq rugs (and Afghan map rugs). The oil wells in Iraq are a nice touch. If only Nigel Lendon were here to discuss this.

A friend is selling this rug so contact Warrug for the details.

Creating juxtaposition by using tanks, grenades and helicopters next to floral designs makes this War Rug from the 1980’s a very unique, special item. The colors used, light pink and beige, make the rug feel calm yet it carries a message that is deep and creates a long-lasting image and detail that does not tire to look at.

The figures and motifs are pixelated and stylized. The different rows of weapons are separated by jagged lines. The border is made up of alternating tanks, rifles, and helicopters. The flowery guard stripe on the left side of the rug appears to be stretched compared to the stripe on the right. This rug can be found on warrug.com.

A blue, orange, red and green incentive motif featuring Russian soldiers, helicopters, jets and tanks rug which was completed in the 1980’s and is incredible unique is available on warrug.com.

The pattern creates a war scene with all of the tools and people needed to defend a base. Bright saturated colors on a dark rich blue field, the guard stripes are made of interlocking geometric brown, green, and red shapes separated from the main borders by white ‘sawtooth’ patterns. The kilim has an interesting blue pattern.

It is 48 x 96 inches (123 X245 cm), uses wool and was made in Afghanistan.

This rug was created in the 1980’s in Afghanistan. Although it has been some time since it was created it is in perfect shape and features traditional end finishes, the drawing, and the traditional design suggest this is of the earliest war rugs. 

The intricate design is special, it features vague floral medallions and transcendent color combinations create a pattern that is beautiful to digest and never ends out of details to examine closely.

  There is a closer look at some of the intense detail in this rug.

Made in the 1980’s, this rug features all kinds of modes of transportation including helicopters, jets, ships and trucks. The rug reminds me of traffic and having a clear direction.

An interesting colorful mosaic of weapons, jets, helicopters, grenades, and other war motifs. Border is very similar to the imagery in the field, but separated by a brown guard stripe. The design of the fighter jets in the center is unusual and unique for this rug. The way that the trucks are stacked in the border is also unusual. The rectangular shapes in the helicopters is very realistic. This all suggests that this is an early rug. It is available at warrug.com.

The Drone Medallion on Sky Blue Field rug blends geometry and color theory to strike with precision to create these drone rugs which are for sale.

This example has uses darker colors, with a dark blue background, and a darker blue inside the medallion. Each rug uses a buff color for one quadrant of the medallion, and half the drone and the medallion background are the same color.

Baghlani rugs, Turkmen rugs from north eastern Afghanistan originated in the late 1980’s and were woven through the mid 1990’s. Generally, Baghlani rugs are long and narrow, so this rugs squarish proportions are unusual. This example features blue, orange and marroon patterns with boats, jets and tanks balanced with flowers and rifles. The border is made up of multiple geometric guard stripes. This color scheme, and the Rows of Weapons design are emblematic of the Baghlani type.

The contrasting blue skirt of this 1980’s rug offsets the mostly red color design which draws inspiration from Ali Kwaja which means, roughly, gentleman. Extensive research suggests Ali Kwaja rugs are Beshir Turkmen. Supposedly, they moved across the border into Afghanistan after the Bolshevik revolution consumed the USSR. This one is for sale.

Possibly, this rug was intended as a prayer rug, for notice the top two panels are separated from the lower panels by a white border stripe. The lower two panels are separated by an airplane border.

Pomegranates are a classic image in Afghan rugs. In pre-Islamic Persia and Afghanistan, pomegranate represented the soul to Zoroastrians. The Quran says pomegranates will be found in Paradise.