The Luri (also called Lor) are an Iranian ethnic group inhabiting the Lorestan and Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari provinces in the Zagros mountains of western and southwestern Iran. Historically nomadic and semi-nomadic, the Luri have produced a substantial body of tribal hand-knotted rugs and flatwoven textiles.
Characteristics of Luri rugs:
- Geometric tribal designs — diamond medallions, stepped lozenges, repeating geometric figures
- Strong color palette — saturated madder reds, deep indigos, ivory, and tribal earth tones
- All-wool construction with locally raised wool
- Asymmetric or symmetric knot depending on sub-group, typically 80–160 KPSI
- Medium scale — Luri pieces are often slightly larger than Qashqai rugs but smaller than typical Bakhtiari production
The Luri and Bakhtiari peoples are closely related geographically and culturally, and Luri-Bakhtiari is sometimes used as a combined label in the trade. The distinction between authentic Luri and Bakhtiari weavings can be subtle and requires expertise.
Luri weavers are particularly known for:
- Pile rugs in geometric tribal designs
- Kilims — Luri kilims are one of the more distinctive flatweave traditions in Persian weaving
- Bags and storage textiles — chanteh, khorjin, mafrash, and other functional pieces
- Gabbeh-style rugs — coarse, thick-piled rugs with simple bold designs, similar to but distinct from Qashqai gabbehs
The trading city of Shiraz in the south and various local markets in Lorestan are the main commercial outlets for Luri weaving. In the trade, older Luri pieces are sometimes labeled generically as "Shiraz" or "Luri-Bakhtiari" rather than with specific sub-group attribution.