| | HT128
HT318
OriginSouthern Turkmenistan
Date 1880's or earlier
Size 5ft1inX3ft9in (155x114cm) Structure
WarpsIvory and brown wool.
Wefts Wool brown 2 shoots
Pile wool.
Knots asymmetric to right
Density v 9 x h 6 = 54 per ins sq
Sides 4 cord, goat hair.
Ends 1/2 inches red-brown, original.
Dyes vegetal.
Colours 6) red,terracotta ,green, blue,natural brown, ivory. Description The field consists of vertical strips with small shrubs and rhombuses. The sequence of colourd stripes is carefully judged, the central one is yellow, the only one, the other two light stripes are ivory. The first two rows are all rombuses and then only continue in the light coloured stripes and are replaced by shrubs. The main border consists of a six armed cross in a sequence of ivory, green, terracotta, and blue, each interspersed with variation on a arrow motif. The whole design was carefully though out to achieve a serene balance.
Condition Good, complete with original sides, and small amount of end finish.The field is low in places There has been a small amount of re-piling in the field using old wool.
Commentary A rare design, a similar one is found in a yomut(?) in a finer weave, (Hali 49,p72) and a runner late 19th Century was present at the 2002 Hali Fair(Alan Jones) in a Beshir weave. With its squarish format it may have been woven to serve the same function as an engsi. In conversation with a very well known writer on Turkmen rugs he noted that he once saw an Kizilayak rug with a field design similar to this piece that was then abandoned and changed to Kizilayak guls. I think that it feels in weave like a Beshir group, but who really knows?
References in LiteratureHali 49 p72 Price £3250 | |
