Hossein Rafat owner of Lashar Rugs has not only visited the ‘workshops’ of the nomadic Iranian tribes who make the rugs he sells, but he helped get them on the export map. “I am from a region of Iran called Baluchistan,” says Hossein who opened Lashar Rugs in 2000. “I was working for a government agency and my brief was to explore the crafts of the region so that the state could promote what existed there.” Hossein soon fell in love with the tribal rug work of nomads who moved from spot to spot in the area. “I learned all about their techniques and aesthetics.”
The government wanted to establish a workshop for the nomadic people, but since they are always on the move Hossein had to find a different approach. “They don't like to work in a closed area so I suggested that we take materials to their camps and I managed to get the budget for it," he explains. "It was a very enriching time.”
Today, Hossein imports stunning handmade rugs from the nomads of Baluchistan for his store and he can tell you all about where they come from from firsthand experience.
