Elements Involved in the Formation and Appearance of Motifs in Qashqa i Gelims

The designs and motifs of Qashqa’i gelims betray in a sense their weavers’ creative minds, high intelligence, unwavering efforts, great ability, graceful spirit, and deep thought. Understanding the meanings of these motifs and designs will help us become more familiar with the religious beliefs of the Qashqa’i people, the true meaning of their lives, their myths, traditions and rituals. It will also help us recognize the factors that have led to the appearance or disappearance of various motifs throughout the history of the tribe. The general factors that have led to the appearance of motifs in Qashqa’i flatwoven rugs have been mentioned as follows: A) Geographical factors and the natural environment B) The history, culture, and art of Iranian nomadic tribes C) The organization of the tribe D) The literacy, amount of knowledge, income and status of living of the people The most important conclusions of the study concern the categorization of Qashqa’i gelims, the most prevalent designs, motifs and sizes of the Qashqa’i gelims, designs that have undergone change or have been forgotten and the use of various colors in these rugs.