Afghan rug

Rug and carpet making is one of the great cultural traditions of Afghanistan and can produce designs of great beauty. In contrast, this design, with its tanks and AK-47 rifle, reflects the turmoil of war that has been endemic since the Soviet invasion of 1979.

There are more than 75 million AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles in the world. Introduced in the USSR in 1947, it has remained in production ever since, with variants of the original design produced in many countries. Cheap to make, rugged and reliable, it became the iconic weapon of guerrilla fighters in third world countries, including the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War, and the Mujahideen who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s.