Afghan War Rug 2002

Handwoven wool rug by artisans of the Pashtun or Baluch in Eastern Afghanistan. Dated 2002.

89 x 68 cm

From the collection of an Antwerp-based diamond dealer.

Early war rugs were bought by soldiers fighting in Afghanistan, and by humanitarian workers, journalists and diplomats passing through Kabul and Peshawar, near the border in Pakistan. Presented in Western art galleries as examples of tribal art and contemporary art, they acquired a symbolic value that was probably not originally intended.

Two main markets developed, aimed mostly at foreigners: small pieces that could be rolled into a soldier's backpack, and larger, more complex rugs for international collectors. Traders and workshop owners began to direct production, providing a variety of templated designs. War rugs are often criticised as inauthentic and manufactured under exploitative conditions. Nevertheless, they have provided Afghan weavers with a source of income in dire times.  - The British Museum, from the exhibition 'War rugs, Afghanistan's knotted history'