ID and age advice for what I believe is a Turkomen Tekke

[kellyhousholder Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kellyhousholder]

Hello! I am new to this forum and have been reading up on the past conversations. I wanted to ask about a rug in my collection which I believe is a Turkomen Tekke Chuval. I believe it is a very old one. I would love some insight into if you think this is correct or not. I am also quite interested in the unique "abrash" on this piece. Because it is mirrored on both ends it feels intentional and I am so interested in any theories about it . Many thank you's. I look forward to learning from this group. I hope I have submitted this question correctly!
Kelly Housholder

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

Hi Kelly,

A good closeup of the back, and some information about the nature of the knots (or a real closeup of the front as well) would be helpful with respect to attribution. That said, it is my sense that this is most likely a 4th quarter 19th century Kizil Ayak piece from the region along the upper third of the portion of the Amu Darya river in southeast Turkmenistan. I think it's unlikely that this is a Tekke piece.

Regards
Chuck Wagner

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Chuck Wagner thank you for this insight. This rug is quite thin, with very fine knotting. The warp and weft are much thinner than I am used to seeing. Are these images more helpful? Thank you so much.

[PaulSmith Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PaulSmith]

Hi, Kellyhouseholder! Nice to see another participant not using spaces in their name... Anyway, the ribbed appearance to the knotting and the drawing of the minor chemche guls (with the diamond shape in the middle) are definitely Kizil Ayak features. I agree with Chuck's attribution.

The various reds in your piece are wild, especially in the main gul centers. The minor border with the botehs (it has a name, and it is escaping me at the moment) is not so much a Kizil Ayak feature--more of a generic late-19th-c. Ersari look, along with the more brick-ish red ground color. Some people lump the Kizil Ayak together with the Ersari, there in the Middle Amu Darya region, but they are distinctive.

Earlier Kizil Ayaks, interestingly enough, really look like traditional Tekke colors, in my opinion. The best example I have is this mid-19th-c. Kizil Ayak main carpet. The red, apricot, blue, green, and pale yellow are very close to Tekke colors of that time, but the weaving and actual designs (you can see the diamond centers in your piece in the minor guls in my carpet) are definitely not Tekke. I wonder if there is some tribal connection between the Kizil Ayak and the Tekke on this account, but... I don't know.

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PaulSmith haha I am not sure how the lack of space happened in the name but here we are! I wish I could explain the excitement I had reading your response! Thank you, thank you for this insight. I feel it is quite addicting learning about these old weavings. For a really long time I was told by many 'experts' that this was likely Tekke so this is wildly interesting to me to hear about the diamond shapes in the middle of the minor guls being distinctly Kizil Ayak. I suppose it is that color likeness that earned it the Tekke attribution at first. The various reds are so interesting to me as well. Especially the 'abrash' effect which seems placed intentionally on each end. One aficionado thought it could be discoloration from where it was used but it's so exact on each side, I am just not sure. I love seeing your piece with the similar minor guls. Thank you, thank you.

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

Hi Kelly,

There is a possibility that this is a Saryk chuval; those from the upper Amu Darya have a similar appearance to Kizil Ayak work. The major guls on your piece fit well with other Saryks I have seen. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I am inclined to shift my suggested attribution to Saryk. I need to do some more research. And some clarity on the nature of the knots: Symmetrical, asymmetrical open left, or right, is needed.

Please see the discussion at the bottom of this thread for an explanation, and examples of photos.:

http://www.turkotek.com/VB56/forum/m...its-age-please


Regards
Chuck

[kellyhousholder Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kellyhousholder]

Chuck Wagner I have determined that the knots are asymmetric open right. I included more knot photos in the event that I am perhaps wrong here. The thread you linked to was most helpful. thank you!

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

Hi Kelly,

I think you may not have it quite right.

When we talk about left/right asymmetry, we always consider the case where the node of the knot that is tied around the warp yarn (which run vertically), is -above- the pile of that same knot, such that the pile points downward from the node. Given that reference framework, your last image seems to be rotated such that the bottom of the bag (the pile pointing downward) it at the right of the image.

So, looking at the rightmost of the upper two white knots, the pile comes down and to the left of the node of the knot, making this asymmetric open left.

This is consistent with Saryk work from the Amu Darya region. Saryk work from further west is usually asymmetric open left, but occasionally, symmetrical. Kizil Ayak work is almost always asymmetric open right, and has less pronounced "ribbing" on the back (and is often, flat).

So, I am more confident that this is a latter 19th century Saryk piece from along the Amu Darya, that region referred to as Lebab (sometimes, Lebap), so a Lebab Saryk.

Regards
Chuck

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Chuck Wagner

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Chuck Wagner I clearly should go back to school and learn my right from my left! Thank you. I also wanted to say that your tactile instructions (below in italics) are by far the most helpful instructions I've found anywhere online. I am such a visual and tactile person. I sat for a long while holding my rug and learning about it from your instructions. Thank you for this insight and your time educating me! This is all so very interesting. Now I have something new to learn about - Lebab Saryks.

The smooth direction is top to bottom. When you feel the roughness you are rubbing your hand against the pile, so from bottom to top.

Then rub your hand across the rug's short axis (left & right). You should feel roughness when you rub from right to left, and relatively smoother from left to right, because yours is asymmetric open right.

Thank you again,
Kelly Housholder