Bread or flour sofreh, Bhaktiari tribe, Chahar Mahal, west Persia Iran.

This is a nicely designed and made example of a Bhaktiari bread sofreh, full of character with plenty of fun idiosyncrasies in fabulous condition with lovely, mainly natural dyes, colours. The construction is quite durable so it would make a good floor piece, wall hanging or draped over a chair.

This sofreh was used for the purpose it was made for (see note below), very possibly by the person who wove it.  When acquired it was pretty encrusted with flour. It has been carefully washed in cold water to remove most of the flour.

 92cm x 110cm, first half of 20th century.

Cotton warps and wool wefts except the white detail which is also cotton, goat hair overwrapped selvages.

Mainly double-interlocked tapestry weave, decorative lines of complementary weft weave and ends finished with countered twinning.

A bread or flour sofreh is relatively small, spread under the tray on which the dough is made so that crumbs do not fall on ground as well as to preserve bread which, once baked, is piled in the middle of the cloth, the corners brought together to prevent the bread from drying out (Parviz Tanavoli, Bread and Salt).

P&P included within the mainland UK. Highlands and Islands or outside the UK please get in touch for a quote.

Listed elsewhere so may be withdrawn at any time.