Closing Remarks

I initiated this Salon in the hope that we might be able to make some headway in tracing motif and layout migration in these bags, since there is such uniformity in the formal descriptions and so little in the way of migration beyond the Tekke and Yomud.

Like so many well laid plans, it didn't work out. Nevertheless, I think the discussion did clarify some thinking, and it certainly generated some speculations that might take off with more information. It also highlighted how little we know about the motifs from Turkmen pile decorated tentbands, which seem fairly likely to be the closest relatives of the so-called "tree of life" in the ivory ground paneled bags.

My thanks to all who contributed to this. I enjoyed it, and I hope you did, too.

Steve Price