Posted by James Allen on November 26, 1998 at 07:11:24:
In Reply to: Is it Turkmen? If so, is it Yomud? posted by Steve Price on November 25, 1998 at 08:24:55:
: 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
: We could use a bit of logic. We could ask how old is it? I would say probably early 20th century. Was it a utilitarian Turkoman object? Probably not it isn't worn out at all. How many small flat woven Turkoman weavings have we seen. I just sold one on Ebay and it was the only one I ever owned. It was a special mat and had a more complex aesthetic than this salatchak. The Turkomen wove commercially by and large after the 1880's so this could definitely be a commercial weaving. Let me add that I think it is a commercial weaving done for a client in possibly a not too different life style. The idea of incorporating a powerful image like a leopard into its design is an obvious possibility. It could have been a dervishes appurtance or a large charm object. It was well thought of in so far as it is still in existence and in good condition. It might also be much later than even I suspect, say 40 years old??? There is little to compare it to so caveat emptor you wild eyed collectors. Jim