Posted by Daniel Deschuyteneer on November 28, 1998 at 23:31:52:
In Reply to: Perspectives on the Salatchak discussion posted by R. John Howe on November 28, 1998 at 18:26:37:
Dear folks,
Don't quit this discussion before attentively examinate presented here :
Wendel Swan wrote:
"As you know, textile cradles are suspended, much like a hammock. Like other cradles with which I have some familiarity, Turkmen cradles are, according to this source, generally rectangular. This makes sense, of course, because the warps could easily be braided into cords for suspension. I would think it more difficult to fashion braided cords on a shaped end as most of the salatchaks seem to have."
"This raises a question about the salatchak under discussion: Given the fact that it is bound or overcast all the way around, how could it have been suspended or was it suspended?"
Look now at the pictures:
The picture from George O'Bannon's Moshkova translation. is very interesting and help us in our discussion.
This is the first picture where remnants of cords can clearly be seen at the pole of the rug and along the sides, and this one was surely suspended.
When magnifying the two pictures from Uwe Jourdan book it seems that remnants of fixation's can also be seen, peculiarly in the second one.
So I think that "cradle rugs" were really suspended and could be used as cradle but that Wendel's rug shown here had perhaps another function. The shape only doesn't make the function.
Best wishes
Daniel Deschuyteneer