Ishkar - a London Shop Working with Afghan Artisans
Luxury handwoven rugs, kilims and jewellery where sales go straight to the makers
Ishkar, on Columbia Road in east London, has a direct relationship with Afghan makers, which it seeks to put on the same footing as artist-makers in the UK. The brand, which specialises in flatweave rugs made using handspun Ghazni Afghan wool and natural dyes, works with over 300 Afghan women weavers who have been excluded from employment since the Taliban came to power in 2021. Founders Edmund Le Brun and Flore de Taisne believe that “today Afghanistan produces the world’s finest rugs, owing to the unique skills of its weavers, and their access to exceptional natural wool, silk and dyes.”
While their online focus is exclusively on rugs and hand embroidered fabrics, they sell a variety of crafts in store and have quarterly online drops of jewellery.
The Ishkar Shop, London. Photo Credit: Ishkar
Look out for:
Afghan flatweave rugs - also known as kilims, made by interlocking warp and weft threads, using handspun Ghazni Afghan wool.
Fabrics - hand-embroidered using traditional Afghan embroidery techniques, passed down through generations.
Jewellery - hand crafted, sterling silver and lapis lazuli semi-precious stone rings.
Band-e Amir Flatweave Rug. Photo Credit: Ishkar
Pazyrak Handknotted Rug. Photo Credit: Ishkar
Chunky Green Agate Ring. Photo Credit: Ishkar
Address: 94 Columbia Road, London, E2 7QB