The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
A small Afghan war rug (Turkoman), depicting images of Soviet helicopters and mounted Afghan horseman carrying rifles. Turkoman rugs were originally produced by nomadic groups inhabiting western Turkestan, predominantly in various rich shades of red, derived from the madder plant. The images of the horsemen and helicopters, as well as the main border with floral forms, are reduced to geometric and stylised forms. War rugs were produced as a result of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, originally intended as souvenirs for Russian soldiers. The rugs are made primarily by members of the Baluch, Uzbek, Turkmen and Hazara ethnic groups, who, most recently, have fled the domination of the Taliban in Afghanistan. As a result, weavers who have fled Afghanistan make contemporary war rugs in refugee camps at Peshawar and Quetta in Pakistan.
The 'classic red war rug' is a stylistically intricate rug, with a complex and dense design layout, using rich red, orange and green colours. The rug is dominated by images of Soviet weaponry, especia
A large Afghan war rug (Baluchi) depicting a number of military motifs, including tanks, gun carriers, grenades, armoured vehicles, as well as Baluchi geometric medallions and plant forms. The central
The 'September 11th' war rug is a very recent example of a rug reflecting contemporary events. It depicts a map of Afghanistan, with a superimposed world globe on top of the map, a representation of a
A large Afghan war rug (Baluchi) depicting a number of military motifs, including tanks, gun carriers, grenades, armoured vehicles, as well as Baluchi geometric medallions and plant forms. The central
This war rug commemorates the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in the 1990s. Bright blue is used in the map of Afghanistan, providing a sharp contrast to the red of the roads depicted on the rug whi
This war rug was produced after 2003, shortly after the Coalition forces routed the Taliban in Afghanistan. The rug consists of a map of Afghanistan which highlights the Tora Bora region in the east a
This rug depicts a combination of a mid blue background against which are depicted rows of tanks in the centre and around the edge and rows of weapons. It is likely that this rug is in the '10 tank' s
This rug relates to the life and events surrounding Mohammad Najibullah (1947-1996), the President of Afghanistan from 1987 to 1992, when the Mujahideen took over Kabul. During his tenure as leader of
The 'September 11th' war rug is a very recent example of a rug reflecting contemporary events. It depicts a map of Afghanistan, with a superimposed world globe on top of the map, a representation of a
