TurkoTek Discussion Boards

TurkoTek Discussion Boards

Subject	:	Cargo Bag Bottom
Author	:	G. B. D'Alessio
Date	:	09-20-1999 on 01:08 p.m.

<a href="mailto:gbdalessio@tin.it">gbdalessio@tin.it</a>

[img=http://www.turkotek.com/salon_00026/mafrash.jpg]

I enclose here the image of a mafrash bottom panel, which may perhaps be relevant to this discussion board. Most mafrashes, as far as I have seen, have simple striped patterns in their bottom panels. In this case the weaver seems to have aimed at some
particular aesthetic effect (the image is not very good, but there are many variations in the colours used). In a mafrash published by Azadi-Andrews, [i]Mafrash[/i], pp. 166 f. all panels but one seem to have a similar zig-zag pattern (though just a bit of them can be actually seen in the photograph in their book). Is it possible that this kind of pattern may be connected to a particular region/tribe?

Best regards,

Giambattista D'Alessio

Subject	:	RE:Cargo Bag Bottom
Author	:	Steve Price
Date	:	09-20-1999 on 01:32 p.m.

sprice@hsc.vcu.edu Dear Giambattista, Thanks for posting this very beautiful and unusual piece. I want to add a comment for the benefit of anyone unfamiliar with these things. The image shows the bottom (the part with the zigzags in the design) and two sides of a cargo bag from NW Persia or the Caucasus. Once upon a time it also had a pair of end panels. The whole thing, when fully assembled, is a rectangular box for carrying fairly large items during migrations. I'm also told that these are used as baby cradles at times, the source of this information is someone who says he has seen this (and I believe him). Regards, Steve Price