A pair of Yomud-style chuvals

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Dear Turkotekians,

Here's another pair of Turkmen chuvals I've acquired lately. They too come from the estate of a late Finnish diplomat, stationed in Iran and Pakistan in the 1980s (cf. my posting
http://www.turkotek.com/VB56/forum/m...urkmen-chuvals).










To me, these look like Yomud work, although the elem is not very typical(?). Both chuvals are circa 140 x 115 cm (with back panel), or 65 x 115 (front panel). Only five colors have been used: red, white, medium brown, very dark brown, and light yellowish brown (presumably all are non-synthetic). No blue has been used.

The pile is practically intact, and I detect no corrosion in the browns. Still, the chuvals seem to have some age.

Interestingly, the other chuval has an inscription using Arabic script. I showed it to some colleagues who are fluent in various Arabic dialects. They said it's not Arabic, but presumably Turkmen written with Arabic alphabet. That would, of course, place the rugs outside the Soviet Union where Turkmen was written with Cyrillic script.

Any ideas re the age and origin of the pair? (Chuck Wagner mentioned the Yomud in Gonbad-e Kavus region in NE Iran as a possible source for the other chuval pair I posted last fall.)

Best,

Mikko

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

I know nothing about these although they are a wonderful set. I’ve never seen a piece with script on it so this is new to me.

[James Blanchard Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close James Blanchard]

Hello Mikko,

I think they are Yomut, and I would estimate that they were made in the first 2 or 3 decades of the 20th century. I like them, as examples of the type and era.

Regards,

James

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Joe and James,

Thank you for your comments. I too thought about dating them around early/mid-20th century. As for the inscription, this is the first time ever I've had a Turkmen piece with writing in my possession.

Below please find the inscription as seen from the back side (with mirror image). I'm unable to find any Arabic numerals here:






Anyone at Turkotek fluent in Turkmen with Arabic script? ;-) (Of course, it can be some other language, too.)

Thanks again,

Mikko

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi Mikko,

I agree these are most likely of Yomut origin, and later pieces. I would guess somewhere between 1890 and 1930. Uwe Jourdan shows a similar piece in his Turkonam book but it's in grayscale so we can't compare colors. He proposes a somewhat earlier timeframe.




The pile at the top of the back is pretty unusual among Turkman chuvals, but seems to be more frequent in this particular subset of Yomut work. I found one like this a few decades ago; images below. I think mine is 1900-1930's.








The palettes and motifs are sufficiently variable between all of these that it would be hard to call them related with respect to a particular region or subtribe, beyond the pile on the back. But that probably does link them; we'll have to live with the mystery. They appear to be late enough for traditional colors and motifs to have drifted anyway. The minor guls on yours are a bit unusual.

Regards
Chuck

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Thanks, Chuck! I, too, was struck by that extra strip of pile in the back.

Has anyone come across inscriptions in Yomut chuvals?

The design of my pair seems to resemble more the one in Jourdan's book, while Chuck's is better drawn, but more crowded (a bit later?).

But what would you make of the absence of blue (indigo)? Poorer weavers working before the large-scale introduction of synthetic indigo? And when would that be?

Best,

Mikko

[Joe Lawrence Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Joe Lawrence]

Can you take a better pic of the script from the front of the Chuval looking straight at it?

[Steve Price Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Price]

Hi Mikko

Inscribed Turkmen pieces are uncommon, but you do run into them now and then. The only one I own is a Yomud motorcycle seat with an inscribed date; 1969, I think.

Steve Price

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Hi Mikko,

My images were taken years ago with a Nikon that oversaturated the reds - and - in bright sunlight, which makes it hard to see the colors correctly.

So, here is a closeup from that day with a fold that exposed the back.

There is indigo blue on mine, but it is used sparingly, the weaver seemed to favor using the eggplant color, and brown, for most of the dark motif components.

Regardez:


Regards
Chuck

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Thank you for your comments!

That eggplant shade in Chuck's chuval is interesting--can't find that in any of my Turkmen chuvals.

Steve, you wouldn't have a picture of your "Easy Rider" Yomud?

And here's a picture of the inscription for Joe, taken from the pile side and as if the bag sides were sewn up (left-hand corner on top of the bag):



Best,

Mikko

[Steve Price Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Price]

Hi Mikko

I was afraid someone would ask for a picture of my Yomud motorcycle seat. It's somewhere in my house, and if I put on a full court press I could surely find it. But I'm really not up to it. The date isn't in Arabic script, it's just 1969 the way you or I would write it.

Steve Price

[Mikko Saikku Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mikko Saikku]

Hi Steve,

I fully understand, but do post it if you ever come across it again!

Best,

Mikko