Turkish Gabbeh Pile Rug

Diamonds of every color, lined up across the red like a well-behaved queue.

This Gabbeh pile rug comes from Turkey and dates to the late 19th century. It is wool. Gabbeh rugs are generally associated with village and nomadic weavers, who favored thick pile, bold color and loosely planned designs. Four large hooked diamonds run along a red field, separated by smaller lozenges in ivory, gold and navy. Blocks of green and blue fill the corners. Saw-tooth borders in navy, red and gold frame the field, and the pile is worn low in places, showing the knots. It is 4.1 feet wide and 7.6 long.

Somebody knew exactly how many diamonds were enough.