Horse Blanket from Iran

This horse blanket is from Iran. It is decorated with tassels and has the abstracted design of fat-tailed sheep on the body of the blanket.

It is a colourful and fine example of the kind of blanket worn to the races and on ceremonial occasions.

Some of the tassels are chemical dyes but the main body of the woven blanket is probably a natural dye as it a rust brown.

The design of sheep is typical, as these sheep are peculiar to Iran and Turkmenistan, they have fat bulges at their rear a storage in times of lean. Their wool is much used and they are both brown and white, but more often brown.

64” (163 cm ) x 58” (148 cm)

Provenance: purchased from Silkroad, 72 Park St. Bristol 1990’s by private collector vlaue £185