This is a Qashqai, approx 4' x 10' with a blue color on the rear. It seems to have a blue warp *and* weft. I don't recall ever seeing this blue color on a back but I have much to learn about true Persians. ;)
Anyone have thoughts?
3 photos include a piece of ordinary white paper for reference.
http://www.netjim.com/stuff/

One of only a few I purchased thru e-bay last summer, this is from a place in Miami called Pakobel. They apparently are only selling on-line now and have a lot on e-bay. (My first venture into "old" rugs.) BTW I paid about $160 including shipping and it was said to be approx 40 yrs old. (another subject....just how many rugs are there that are 40 years old ? ) lol
A related aside....
4 manufacturer's reps have seen it and each, independently, judged it to be 60 - 80 years old and none had seen this light blue backing before either but, even with many years in the business, these guys are *mostly* representing machine made and tufted goods. (Although one of them certainly has good hand-made knowledge.)

I have seen Pakobel on ebay for sure. I wonder what it appraises for on the appraisal tool. I would say it's 40 years old if I had to make a guess. You are in the rug business yourself? do you have a retail shop?

Good looking sites Jim. I don't mind seeing them as I like to see all aspects of the business and what others are up to. I noticed your paragraphs on the leather strips. We were talking about that a few days ago on here. I have two with the strips myself.

Jim you said you have a write up on these straps? I wonder what colors you have been finding people to like down in Florida for the rugs.

I'll have to look into this a little more because I am just not certain on what this rug is.

I'm not saying this is Qashqai, because I do not believe it is. What I do know is that Qashqai are not always wool pile with wool foundation. Many older ones are, however, most newer Qashqai rugs are wool pile, with cotton foundation. I personally own a Qashqai from the 1960's early 70s that has a cotton foundation. Gabbeh design rugs woven by the Qashqai are also woven on cotton foundation. These are made by nomadic weavers, often migrating several hundred miles every year back and forth. I do not think this is Qashqai, but the statement that Qashqai rugs are wool foundation is incorrect.

It seems inevitably, when some rug dealers cannot isolate origin, they call assign it the name Hamadan because Hamadan covers such a broad, large area of Iran. While it may be the case that this rug is a Hamadan, I'm just not certain, but it's probably a decent guess. The design would say it could be, but looking at the back of the rug tells a much different story: What I can say is that hamadan often has single weft weaving. Simplified answer to what this means, the appearance of knots on the back of the rug. They will be oriented in almost a diagonal fashion, seemingly alternating columns of knots. This rug does not exhibit this orientation, not to say there's no possibility this is a Hamadan, it could very well be.

I'll do more research and get back to you

Nice new avatar, is this your showroom?

Hi,
The second one in that link has two shots of weft between each row of knots so that rules out Hamadan so I agree with you. I noticed that the two wefts one is sinuous (it zigzags around warps) and the other is rigid i.e. very straight. It is like a Bijar but obviously not Bijar. I used to see Khorasan village rugs like that so it may be a low-end Khorasan rug.
Best wishes,
Barry O'Connell