Quartered field with flaky stars
 

Here's one of the quartered field type, with flaky stars.
As I wrote in TBP (see p. 65) all those years ago, they are quite uncommon, and, apart from the one I showed and the reference one I cited then, I have come across only two more since then, incl. this one (which I bought some years ago and then virtually forgot that I have it).

Any thoughts, any comparable ones?

Frank

Sine qua non, no?
 

Hi Frank,

I haven't seen any comparables to your quartered field bag and the one on p.65 of TBP. They seem, as you pointed out, to be quite rare. Fortunately for our survey of star-in-octagon bags neither contain the sine qua non of the category: a central motif of a star in an octagon. :laughing_1:

On the other hand, there are many star-in-octagon bags that feature quartered fields. One that sold at RP in December, 2010 (lot 145) I posted in the "Color, Condition, Drawing" thread:





And here's a less dramatic model with some creative repair color matching :baffled:





BTW - what's a "flaky star"?

Joel

flaky star
 

Joel,

I called the devices shown in the quadrants of my bag face "flaky stars", because they remind me of a snowflake and, as the topic of the salon is stars, I called them a star as well (o.k., a stretch on both ends, but that's Turkotek, innit?). Maybe I should have termed them "flakey stars"? :laughing_2:

I just wanted to coax a few more of the type out of the woodwork, really. It usually works: as soon as you call something rare, they come out in plenty. Come on, go through your stacks (of rugs or pics) - I did, and look what I found.

Frank

Hi Frank,

It appears that no one has found any similar bags with flaky (or even flakey :banana:) stars in their real or virtual stacks. Perhaps you can now declare it rare. :clap:

In the spirit of your pithy, "a stretch...but that's Turkotek, innit?", here's a star-in-octagon bag with an array of recognizably 'Baluch' design features that also has elements that I've never seen on a 'Baluch' piece. The chevron design in the closure tabs and the pattern in the edge joins suggest Afshari rather than 'Baluch' (or perhaps some mixed) origin. The line of weft-substitution motifs is a common element to both traditions. Are there more of these hybrid bags out there?











Joel

I'll have that medium rare
 

Frank,

Turns out, I was a bit premature. I've come across these two in the past few days:








As for my khorjin with some suggestively Afshar features:





the side joins appear to be what Marla Mallett refers to in Woven Structures as "two-color looped chain stitch joins" (p.159). The example she shows is from a Baluch weft-substitution sack. While the other examples I've found are also from Baluch flatweaves, it does show that weavers in the 'Baluch' tradition utilized this type of join on some bags. Here's an example from a salt bag:





While I haven't yet found other 'Baluch' bags with chevron patterns in the closure tabs, there are some examples, like this one from Three Dusty Dozen, where the closure tabs are decorated with other weft-substitution patterns.





So maybe we can just assume that the khorjin is 'Baluch'. :cheers:

Joel

I knew it, I knew it!!!
 

Hi Joel,

those two are crackers (despite condition)!

Come on, more, please!

Frank

Hi all,

This "type" is one of my favourites. I am particularly struck by the creation of a stylized "arrow" in the negative space between the points of the "stars". In fact, I think that the main motif is not a "star" at all when studying the examples with the "dollar signs" in the borders. It looks more like a square motif with arrows pointing at it. It's a very mysterious tribal pattern.

James

Bring 'em on
 

Sure, Frank :cheers:





Joel

Hi all,

More examples of Baluch closure tabs with decoration. I can help with that:















All from west or northwest Afghanistan; the last is a Sistan piece and has a different method but still qualifies as decorated tabs, so why not.

Many balishts (boleshts, baleshts, whatever....) have detailed decoration on the closure tabs as well.

Regards
Chuck

More?
 

This one is from Ulrich Ahlheim's Autumn Exhibition 2013. It may currently be on the market, so keep those comments to yourself! :banghead::





The next one seems really "flaky" :laughing_1:
It even comes with a different palette (and a host of condition issues):





More?

Joel

Joel,

I agree, that the khorjin with the chevron pattern on the closure tabs may very well be a mit-to-south Persian work. The tabs , selvage, and stars are consistent with, and suggest, Afshar. The dark palette and little star-like weft replacement doohickeys suggest Veramin.

Thoughts ?

Regards
Chuck

Hi Chuck,

Unfortunately for our attribution efforts, those round weft-substitution stars (technically known as 'doohickeys' :clap:) are common to Baluch, Afshar and Varamin weavings.

Baluch:








Afshar:





and Varamin Arab:





Joel

You didn't say to stop
 

Frank,

You want me to keep going? :D





Joel