Posted by James Allen on November 23, 1998 at 05:55:55:
In Reply to: Re: Yomud Salatchak posted by Steve Price on November 22, 1998 at 16:52:43:
: Jim presents a very good point, all too often forgotten by Turkmen collectors (including me, I'm afraid). That is, much of the antique Turkmen weaving that we have is not the ordinary, it is the extraordinary. And the very best of the old pieces that we have are not just the cream, they are the creme de la creme (aside to Daniel: I hope I got the French right after all your coaching!).
: Jim also mentions the genetic relation between American Indians, who migrated across the Bering Strait on a land bridge that disappeared many thousands of years ago, to Central Asian nomads. He is correct, of course, about the lineage. However, this is unlikely to have anything to do with whatever similarities there are between some of the textiles made in the past few hundred years in the two regions.
: Steve Price
: Well Steve presents the Darwinian and accepted idea that no linkage exists. There is of course another view whose genetics is more Lamarkian inspired. Without delving into a discussion I am not an really capable of persuing let me just state an interesting observation. There once was an Armenian rug dealer on Park ave. who went into business with some friends with a good idea. Thet didn't know about Darwin so even though their idea had no chance they didn't know it. They said to themselves why not go into villages where weaving has been dead for a hundred years and let's ask the granddaughters and greatgranddaughters of the grandmothers who once wove the brilliant village carpets 100 years ago to do what their grandmothers did. They didn't know that Darwin said they shouldn't have a clue. Of course if they had known Mr Lamarkes work they would have known they were bound for success. It turns out those anatolian girls, who are of turkoman stock by the way, took to weaving those old village designs like ducks take to water for the first time. It was also found that they really couldn't weave their neighboring villages patterns. So you see the story is true and the genetic connection to both design and language is still very much up in the air. Jim Allen