Posted by Daniel deSchuyteneer on December 09, 1998 at 07:27:02:
Dear folks,
I Apologize if part of this post is redundant with Wendel message, but I was already busy to writing it when Wendel posted his.
I suggest reading a first rate article in Hali 100 page 86, "Back to Basics", written by John T. Wertime.
Concerning "primitive" rugs Wertime shows examples of animal pelts sewn together to make rugs and of "long fur like pile" rugs imitating them.
Also, different Turkish/Kurdish rugs are discussed by Wertime:
1/siirts or faux pile mat
2/çeki tülü mohair pile rugs
3/hali
4/filikli
5/ilme tülü
Steve's "Tülü" rug seems to fit the description of Anatolian "filikli" pile rugs traditionally in goat hair (mohair).
Following Wertime "filikli" characteristics are:
Structure:
Weft faced plain weave ground with very long "symmetrically knotted" pile (up to 15cm) of "unspun" and "untrimmed" "mohair" fibres of "unequal"
length.
The rows of knots are widely spaced by multiple rows of ground wefts (up to 5 cm) between the rows of knots
Design:
As the pile is very long designs are rudimentary and palettes of this rugs are limited and ranges from one colour (dyed or not) to several.
Image 1: Tulu
Image 2: Tulu border
Image 3: Tulu ends
Some months ago I handled four Karapinar "ilme tülü" rugs. Here is a summary of the characteristics I noticed concerning these four rugs:
They all have a gabbeh like structure with an all wool foundation.
They are thick and the handle is floppy.
They are very coarsely woven with sheep's wool - symmetric knots, thick dry wool and high pile.
They all have a high count of wefts from 2 to 7.
They all have flat selvage of 2 cords of 2 ground warps which are overcast.
They all have wide plain weave ends.
A description of each one can be found at the
bottom of this post and pictures of Tulu N° 4 are added. In this one the shorter pile enables the rendering of smaller complex design and the ends
finishing let me think that it could be hanged.
Following Wertime : "The peculiar qualities of "primitive" rugs make them particularly suitable for use as blankets and covers as well as for sitting, sleeping and hanging. Some long-pile textiles may also have been used as garments"
Best wishes and thanks to Steve for this very interesting topic.
Daniel
TULU N° 4
Dimension:
Knots: coarsely woven, symmetric knots, very thick pile, height 15 mm
Warps: white wool, no warp depression
Wefts: colored wool, 2-4 shoots
Selvage: two cords overcast
Top ends: 7cm balanced plain weave ends, plied and sewn
Bottom ends: 8 cm balanced plain weave ends + the warps are replied and sewn to make a loop. Through the loops, three thick cords of two Z2S horse hair strands.
Colours: chemical wash
TULU N° 5
Dimension: 125cm X 76cm
Knots: coarsely woven, symmetric knots, very thick dry wool, pile height 10 mm
Density: H20/10cm V 16/10 cm 320/dm˛; H 5/pi V4/pi 20/psi
Warps: white wool, Z2S, loosely twisted, no warp depression, handle floppy
Wefts: white, grey or brown wool, 2-5 shoots
Selvage: two cords of two warps ground wefted and overcast
Top ends: 1,5 cm balanced plain weave
Bottom ends: 1,5 cm balanced plain weave
Colours: chemical wash
TULU N° 6
Dimension: 130cm X 95cm
Knots: very coarsely woven, symmetric knots, very thick dry wool, pile height 13 mm
Warps: thick white wool, Z2S, loosely twisted, no warp depression, handle
floppy
Wefts: mostly grey wool + coloured wefts of different thickness, 2-3 shoots
Selvage: flat selvage two cords of two warps ground wefted and overcast
Top ends: 4 cm balanced plain weave + fringe
Bottom ends: 4 cm balanced plain weave with red wefts, plied and sewn
Colours: chemical wash
TULU N° 7
Dimension: 148cm X 96cm
Knots: very coarsely woven, symmetric knots, very thick dry wool, pile height 15 mm
Warps: thick white wool, Z2S, loosely twisted, no warp depression, handle very thick and floppy
Wefts: white wool, 2 shoots
Selvage: flat selvage two cords of two warps ground wefted and overcast
Top ends: 2,5 cm balanced plain weave + plied and sewn
Bottom ends: 2,5 cm balanced plain weave + plied and sewn
Colours: chemical wash
Picture Attachments: