Posted by Steve Price on November 25, 1998 at 08:24:55:
In Reply to: Re: Salatchaks: Who Makes, Gives, When? posted by Wendel Swan on November 25, 1998 at 00:28:42:
Wendel raises the question of whether this piece is Turkmen. I offer the following observations.
1. The palette suggests Turkmen work, and at least two Turkmen groups (Tekke and Yomud) wove pentagonal items.
2. On the other hand, interlocked tapestry is not a technique I associate with Turkmen, the red-white-blue edge isn't either. The design is not very Turkmen-like. The borders are no more than lines, and there no strips of chevrons. Just about every Turkmen rug or bag is laid out as a field surrounded by a decorated border or a field with strips of chevrons as the major elements.
If it is Turkmen, is it Yomud? I feel much more comfortable answering "probably yes" to this question. The ground color and palette are typical of the flatweaves usually attributed to the Yomud, and the pentagonal shape is not unusual for Yomud work (asmalyks, camel knee covers, potholders, comb bags). The "flattened diamond" motifs in the field and their alignment as diagonals converging toward the center are also reminiscent of the upper borders on asmalyks and many other Yomud pentagonal textiles.
Here's hoping someone with really extensive first hand knowledge of Turkmen life will jump into this discussion.
Steve Price