| Dear John, Firstly many thanks for the splendid example of an early
Western Anatolian weaving. Looks neat. Would need to feel the piece before
I agreed on your dating, but provisionally, I concur. In fact, 18th
century might be a bit conservative. The major problem in dating Anatolian
village and nomadic pieces is that we are used to equating condition with
age, and the very active dowry process amongst the Anatolian peoples have
given us many pieces which look much younger than they are. I must also
add that the piece "reminds" me of Demetji Kula and an occasional Yunji
that I have seen. No reasons, just feelings. Have you checked out "Rugs of
the Peasants & Nomads of Anatolia" by Bruggerman & Bohmer (1983)?
Neat section on the 'early" rugs of Western Anatolia, plus a great section
on viewing color in weaving. Please also note that these pieces were
exported to the west in large numbers in the late 19th century. Thus,
there are certainly more of these floating around in the west than there
are in Turkley - excepting Mosque's and Museums. Excuse the brevity of my
response, but am amidst the trauma of moving the gallery after 20 plus
years in one location. Happy hunting saul |