Ten Tank War Rugs

ID#:2055, 12 Tanks with Car Border The best thing about this rug is the colors of the blue. Also, in the border, in between every visible car there is a burgundy colored car the same value as the surrounding blue.

ID#:1655, Orange and Grey Ten Tank War Rug This Ten Tank rug features rows of brown and grey tanks with text inside on an orange field. The negative space is filled with smaller flower and 'S' motifs as is usual for these rugs. The border consists of four smaller stripes of interweaving diagonal shapes on grey. A row of small medallions travels down the center of the rug between the tanks.

ID#:1553, Pink Field War Rug with Tanks Outlined in Red Great design in very nice quality rug. Knotting is dense with excellent wool. Design is unique with a highly stylized border and lots of SSS shapes on the pink field. One of the best war rugs from western Afghanistan that we have received in a while. Same weaver as rug #1546

ID#:1551, Blue rug with brightly colored car trim and S shapes throughout The blue background color is one of the best in the Herat Afghanistan palette. The sprinkling of light blue and red throughout the field enliven the design.This is simply a beautiful rug, and it's price is lowered significantly by the condition issues below. The car border and central column give the rug a unique design. The use of very small motifs in the panels around the tanks set the field apart from the borders (and central column) in a beautiful way. One by two inch section of old moth damage where moths have eaten down to the knots. Also, the light blue is a fugitive dye (a common color in Baluchi rugs from western Afghanistan) and it has tip fading.

ID#:1544, Cool Abrash War Rug This subtle rug uses deep blues and dark browns to provide a very cool tone wherever it's placed. However, the bright orange thread used throughout proves to be a beautiful highlight, lending the piece a wonderful sense of contrast.

ID#:1543, Orange Ten Tank Rug The muted blues of the border and flowers of this rug provide a soothing coolness to contrast the vibrance of the orange thread used in the center. In addition, the brown serves to neutralize the color palette overall, while still allowing the tanks and flowers to have a certain luminance within the composition of the rug. While this Ten Tank design is similar to other rugs recently available, the structure of this rug is very unusual. It has wool wefts, which is very rare in contemporary Baluchi rugs.

ID#:1541, Yellow Highlights Ten Tank Rug Though one would think the dark blue used throughout the rug would make it an overall very drab piece, the use of bright threading throughout actually gives this piece a nice sense of liveliness. The 8 pointed stars on the border, flanked by the 8 pointed pink starbursts and the light brown chevrons also give the piece a beautiful sense of motion in an otherwise static piece

ID#:1529, Good Quality Large Size Blue Ten Tank Rug This is a classic version of this design. Years ago, most of these rugs were brown on brown; but the blue and brown work better together. The blue and brown compliment each other well within a limited value range (range of light and dark) The color palette is limited and very subtle. The five borders are typical of this type.

ID#:1526, Ten Tank War Rug with Beautiful Blue Field This is a dark take on the 10 Tank War Rug style. The 16 tanks it actually sports are surrounded by first a geometric design then a second, more floral outer border. There are small red and orange planes filling the negative space between the tanks. The colors overall are quite somber.

ID#:1487, Dark Blue Ten Tank Rug with Muted Palette War Rug (Exhibition history #26) The war rug is in like new condition. The olive greens, like ninety nine percent of Baluchi rugs from western Afghanistan has tip fading. The olive green, on back is more vivid, but on face it a lighter more brownish green. The blue filed color has very nice and subtle abrash. The blue color is a slightly tinted Prussian blue. These more recent examples of the Ten Tank design are better executed than the earlier brown ones. This rug is more finely knotted of better wool than examples from the 1990's. The blue field works really well. Also the combination of the large motifs, tanks, and the smaller motifs, birds, rifles, tertiary motifs. There is a good dispersion of colors in the tertiary motifs: olive green, maroon, tan, brown, and burnt sienna. In the earliest example of this rug the word ""Tank Tank"" was clearly written in Farsi script on the sides of each tank. In recent examples though, the script is nearly illegible. This rug is the mate of #1482

ID#:1482, Dark Blue Ten Tank Rug with Light Blue and Pink War Rug The drawing, colors, and pattern of this rug are excellent. The blue is dark Prussian blue. The light blue is not wool and feels like silk, but it may be mercerized cotton or synthetic. Note, only the light sky blue is not wool. The use of vivid colors is one of the best qualities in tribal rugs. (web blog link to afghan weavers) The freedom of expression and joy of life expresssed in vivid colors, like the light blue and pink in this rug (or the flourescents in other rugs and bags) give this rug a vitality not found in workshop and city rugs. The scattering of small areas of bright colors on dark field works very well, and has a n overall most beautiful effect.

ID#:1478, Tanks, Helicopters and Stylized Fighter Jet War Rug Very good quality and excellent condition. The border design, color and wool suggests this rug is closely related to classic ""10 Tank"" rugs in spite of difference in field design. The more brighly colored field images: red tanks, green tanks, red fighters give this rug a refreshing brilliance uncommon in ""10 Tank"" rugs. Blue wool is good quality as is blue dye. The three columns of skinny images on each side and center of field are fighter jets, which have suffered what Nigel Nendon calls ""progressive abstraction"". Example, examle.

ID#:1476, Helicopter Border Version of Tank, Bomber Helicopter Style War Rug This rug appears to be the latest iteration of the Tank, Helicopter, Bomber Style War Rug. The tank and helicopter motifs are reminiscent of Tank, Heli, Bomber style, but more importantly the pile wool, specific shade of blue used in field color, and most indicatively, the warp threads. The design has changed a bit and it is very interesting watching it change. The overall design of this rug is successfull, particularly for the dispersion of small areas of colors and a variety of motif sizes. The poorly defined border of somewhat inarticulate helicopter is not particularly effective, but it does show will to innovate. One of best design element is the top row of helicopters treads where blue squares are outlined in red. Beautiful.

ID#:1475, Small Ten Tank Style War Rug Featuring Black Tanks. (Exhibition #26) The wool and knotting of this rug is not like Ten Tank rugs while the design is quite similar. The design difference is the use of different colors in rows of tanks. The sue of black, red, and golden yellow on tanks sets them off very effectively from blue field and blue and tan border. Its difficult to say absolutely, but this rug appears not to be a ""Ten Tank"" rug in spite of its design. Ten Tank rugs tend to have a straight fiber slightly sharp pile wool, and ropey brown warps. This rugs pile wool is curly and soft and its warps are very fine quality blond wool. As mentioned above also, the colors in this rug are not usual. Typically Ten Tank rugs are brown, tan, and blue. This rug has black, red, golden yellow, as well as tow browns.

ID#:1462, Small Size Classic Ten Tank Rug Ten Tanks rugs have tan fields, like this one, but in the past 5 years the tan fields have become rare.

ID#:1456, Blue Field Ten Tank Rug This rug is the classic “Ten Tank” rug. Overall the condition is very good with out signs of wear. Its wefts are thick 3 shoots, thee brown wool is sharp and stiff. The blue used in this rug is better material and color than other 10 Tank rugs we have

ID#:1455, Blue Ten Tank War Rug with Three Columns of Tanks This war rug has some wear but is in very good condition. There is some sarnach. There is a small area of wear in middle between second and third rows of tanks from bottom. There is a small repair near middle column next to second tank from top.

ID#:1416, Blue Ten Tank Rug This good rug is in unused condition, but it has been in our pile for almost 10 years.

ID#:1136, Classic and Vintage Ten Tank War Rug This blue and orange ten tank (it actually has 12 tanks) war rug has an orangey hue to it, especially in the field. The border consists of five thinner borders alternating between brown wave-shapes and chains of brown and orange flowers. Similar to this rug but more standard quality.

ID#:1012, Good quality example of this kind of rug. Best example we have received in years. Not especially finely knotted, but good wool and good color.

ID#:928, 10 Tank War Rug with Four Petal Flowers New, full pile.

ID#:927, Ten Tank, Good, new

ID#:926, 10 Tank Rug Good quality and condition. Best quality for this type

ID#:910, Blue Ten Tank War Rug The tanks in this rug are in a non-aggressive 'guns up' formation, symbolizing the Soviet retreat out of Afghanistan. The abstracted bulbous forms of the tanks add to the pattern, while the negative space is occupied by small rifles, checkered motifs, flowers, and other figures. The border consists of four alternating brown flower and yellow patterned thin stripes. Similar but higher quality version of this rug

ID#:909, Lion Border War Rug with Eight Tanks The condition of this war rug is good This is a Beluchi war rug with exceptional images. Surrounding the entire rug is the traditional image of lions. These lions are used to symbolize strength and courage. The main field of the rug has rows of Soviet-era tanks and rifles. Interestingly, to protect the city of Kabul, the Afghans built, centuries ago, a tall wall surrounding the city in protection. This wall is the pride of all Afghans and is responsible for three defeats over the British. However, the Soviets were able to permeate the wall and entire the city of Kabul. To further take down the pride of the Afghans, the Soviets destroyed two lion sculptures that marked the entrance to the city. The artist of this war rug almost was telling a story in the weaving of this rug. That the Soviet tanks permeated the center. Interesting, she drew the traditional Afghan symbolism of poppies inside the tanks, almost as if she is suggesting that that was what the Soviets truly desired. However, even with the conflicting images of the lions meaning strength and courage and the tanks representing force, the traditional symbol of the tree of life still manages to run down the center of this war rug. Proving, once again, that although they may be ravaged by war, life continues for the Afghan people. This war rug is in good condition, with some very minor issues. There is some sarnach and some slightly irregular knotting not too uncommon in tribal folk art.

ID#:904, Ten Tank Good, new

ID#:884, Red Ten Tank with Good Writing (Exhibited Denison Art Museum)

ID#:403, 12 and a Half Tank War Rug This rug is in good new condition. This rug features particularly nice borders for the type.

ID#:72, Two ewer with blue tanks Overall condition very good. Full pile with some oxidation of the light grey in the top row of tanks with brown lettering longer than grey background. Knot density fair. Good range of color with unusual use of brighter colors, like cherry red and sky blue. Rug is clean. Full pile. Addition of cars in Two Ewer design is unusual.

ID#:65, Ten Tank, Brown Field, White Stars This rug is a good example of this style. The large size is nice. Its condition is perfect. . Short and even pile. Beautiful long brown fringe. It is typical Baluch with the overall dark palette with a touch of white for accent.

ID#:59, 8 Tank War Rug #3 An excellent example of this style of rug. Knots are consistent sizes, pile is very even, and the wool is good quality. The colors are rich and the design is very nice. I think the starburst motifs are more attractive than the 4 leaf clover patterns seen on similar rugs. Also the field is more sparely decorated, which is nice. The details are good too. The warp wool is very good quality and the selvedge is very strong and the warps are fully covered by the goat hair overcast. The kilim end and finishing knots are well done too. The overall drawing and depictions of the tanks are beautiful.

ID#:43, Large 10 Tank blue Afghan War Rug Perfect, New

ID#:37, 12 Tank Afghan War Rug I was told these rugs came out of Mazar I Sharif in the mid 1990s. They show the tendency away from realistic depiction of war motifs towards abstraction and traditional motifs. It is the beginning of the mannerization of war motifs. Good subtle pattern.

ID#:13, 8 tank small Afghan War Rug Perfect. Like new. . A Pakistani friend told me these rugs are made by refugees from Mazar I Sharif who live in NWFP Pakistan. This style shows a more abstract approach to war imagery. The simplified tanks verge on Bokara. Unusual size. Tribal.