Carpet Bombing

Dave Gilson

Rug courtesy of Patricia Markovich

September/October 2003 Issue

For centuries, the people of the Khyber Pass region have been known for their handwoven rugs. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, traditional designs were invaded by images of rifles, tanks, and helicopter gunships. Now, following the U.S. campaign against the Taliban, Afghan weavers have swapped Soviet AK-47s and MiGs for American M-i6s and B-52s, and these new-generation "war rugs" are fast becoming collectors' items in the United States. Retailers report selling dozens each week, and the rugs are advertised everywhere from eBay to Soldier of Fortune. But is this a spontaneous twist on a traditional art form? Ron O'Callaghan—who runs Asian Trade in New Hampton, New Hampshire, and sells the rugs for up to $600—says they accurately reflect the Afghan experience. "They never struck me as something that would appeal to the bazaar tourist," he says. But Chris Walter of Vayla Tribal Rugs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, takes a less romantic view. "They are woven more as a response to the market than as a pure and genuine expression of folk art," he says. "People are weaving them because they know they will sell."