Gholamreza Zollanvari, of the father's generation, loved and collected Gabbeh rugs with lion motifs. His son Reza brought that familiar subject into new design collaborations, while Hamid organises Iranian production and dyeing. Handspun wool, local weavers and collaborating designers' lines allow the lion to appear both simple and approachable, and distinctly contemporary.
Works and style
Contemporary works
Handmade Gabbeh expresses art through handspun wool texture and contemporary layered colour composition. Viewers can begin with the material, then examine relationships between colours. Even simple patterns can create rich images through colour and textile surface. Family concepts, collaborative design and the skills of local women weavers connect to shape the works.
People and heritage
Family continuity diagram
Gholamreza joined his father's carpet business in 1947 and later worked with tribal weavers, bringing Gabbeh into new production and design explorations. Reza developed design collections and international business; Hamid coordinates Iranian production, while Reza's son Ramin continues overseas markets and brand management.
Fourth generation of the family business
Gholamreza Zollanvari
Developing Gabbeh from trading into organised production, with new designs created alongside tribal weavers
Fifth generation of the family business
Reza Zollanvari
Design and collection development; international business
Parent's generation: Gholamreza Zollanvari
Fifth generation of the family business
Hamid Zollanvari
Organisation of Iranian production sites and facilities including dyeing; sustainable production management
Parent's generation: Gholamreza Zollanvari
Sixth generation of the family business
Ramin Zollanvari
Overseas markets and global brand management
Parent's generation: Reza Zollanvari
Sources on family continuity
Zollanvari · official About page ↗RUG Insider · Lasting Legacy (25 January 2022) ↗People and heritage
Family archive
In 1947, Gholamreza, of the fourth generation, joined the family business. That milestone is nearly eighty years before 2026, while the business itself began earlier. He worked with Qashqai and Luri nomadic weavers to develop Gabbeh, and his cherished lion subject later entered his son's design collaborations. The business has reached its sixth generation; weavers and collaborating designers continue to contribute their own skills and imagination.
Gabbeh invites attention to handspun wool texture and layers of colour. Simple patterns allow the material itself to become part of the image and leave space for colour relationships. These hand-knotted rugs can be appreciated through composition, dyeing and the weavers' skill together.