A special gift from a late uncle. He was an archeologist in Turkey.

[Frank McLellan Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Frank McLellan]

Thank you for looking at this. Before my Uncle died he gifted me this tent band. I am posting here so that maybe someone could tell me more about it. It has been sitting in a box for years and I do not know what to do with it. It is beautiful. My uncle was an archeology professor and would spend every summer in Turkey. I was young and a little more ignorant than I am now and thought it a strange gift as he was also not the most personable in the family. I have uploaded images.

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

Hi Frank, and welcome to Turkotek,

Would you please provide the length and width of your band ?

Regards
Chuck Wagner

[Steve Wallace Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Wallace]

It looks very like tent bands labelled as Uzbek. I have a 'kelim' made from three strips, each about 30 cm (1 foot) wide, with the same look/type of weave (front and back). I'll try to put up some photos in a day or two. I have no real idea about the age of my piece - except I bought it in 1983 - or Frank's.

You can see a not dissimilar one via this link:

https://collection.maas.museum/object/39074

Good one, Frank.

[Steve Wallace Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Wallace]

There are some photos of my former tent band.

[Frank McLellan Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Frank McLellan]

Thank you both for responding. Wow those examples are wonderful Steve. To answer your question Chuck, it roughly measures (rolled out with measuring tape) 24' 4 1/2 " not including the ends. It is 4" wide. I will attach more pictures. It is still stored in the ammunition shipping box that he gave it to me in. Edit: Trying to describe color in comparison to the pictures. I would say it is pretty close with the exception of the orange which seems to be more vivid than what the pictures shows.
Frank

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

Hi Frank,

With those dimensions, and the nature of the ends of the band, I'd say it was most likely used for securing the framework or coverings of a yurt or a tent. It's also possible it was used to secure cargo on a pack animal, but it doesn't show evidence of having had the typical wood buckle seen on such pieces.

It looks Uzbek or Afghan to me, but it could also be from eastern Persia,

Take a look at these three discussions for some more insight and examples.

Regards
Chuck

http://www.turkotek.com/salon_00089/s89t5.htm

http://www.turkotek.com/salon_00099/s99t3.htm

http://www.turkotek.com/salon_00090/s90t2.htm

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

Greetings all. Frank, your band is an Anatolian band, likely first or second quarter 20th C. I believe it was made by Savak Kurds. One end has small plaits and the other end is fragmentary. Unless it had a buckle it would be difficult to say with any authority that it is a pack-animal band. It was more likely a decorative tent band, although it may have had double duty as a pack band.

The structure is warp-faced alternating float weave, which gives it a stippled look on the front and a horizontal ribbed appearance on the back. This structure was used by Uzbeks, like Steve's band along with Qashqa'i and Shahsevan weavers in Iran. This structure was not as strong as others for use as a pack band but I have seen a half dozen or so Qashqa'i bands made with alternating float. They are the rarest of Qashqa'i pack bands because they did not hold up well.

The "S" or dragon form is a common design on Savak Kurdish bands. The color palate is also characteristic and does not occur in other regions as far as I know.

Below is an example of a Savak band fragment with a tuft of angora, found only on bands made in Anatola.


My thanks to Chris Countryman for alerting me to this post.

Fred Mushkat

[Frank McLellan Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Frank McLellan]

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day for this discussion. This is very fascinating and I understand the immense appreciation I see here with these textiles. I will look at those other discussions.

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

Hi Fred !

Great to hear from you again ! And thanks for the expert input.

Best
Chuck

[Steve Wallace Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Wallace]

Very interesting, in post #7, Fred. Thanks. Fascinating to see similar techniques from wide apart areas. (I bought my piece in Peshawar, from Afghan people. They also had another, smaller kelim made from 2 pieces of the same tent band. )

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

I bought the Anatolian fragment on eBay.

In 1999 I was in Islamabad and saw a four foot tall mound of Central Asian band fragments. I pulled out two and bought them for $2 each. I don't know why Uzbek and other Central Asian bands funneled through Pakistan, but they did so in abundance.