Hi Steve,
E. O’Donovan, a British traveler
with an analytical eye, (not only for the strategic- and commercial issues
which were of interest to the Foreign Office), spent 3 years (1879-1881)
south east of the Caspian, living for example 4 months in Gumush Tepe, a
Yomud village of felt yurts, south of the Atterek river on the Persian
border. In his book «Merv Oasis Travels. Tome I», he mentions pile carpets
used as door hanging «which hang curtain-wise» (page 225). Although
O’Donovan was no ruggie, he knew perfectly well the difference between
pile rugs and felt, (he gives a very interesting detail description of the
production of the latter, (page 173-174) and mentions repeatedly the pile
rug weaving performed by his hostess and her daughters). A confusion
between felt-and pile hangings is very unlikely.
The hypothesis of
an influence of the Russians on door-hangings production seems indeed
rather adventurous, at least in the area in question:
Although the
Russian armies raided the southern Caspian area several time before 1879,
even as deep into Persia as Asterabad, their military presence just north
of Gumush Tepe dated only 1879, since they initially planned to start
their offensive against the Tekes from the mouth of the Atterek river. In
1879 even the fall of Khiva (700 km north-east, with the Garakum in
between!!) was only six years old.
The theory about a commercial
influence of armenian- or russian merchants on carpet production and
introduction of ensis, is also weakened by O’Donovan’s remark (page 245:
«The carpets which they make are retained for their own use; the slow rate
at which they are produced, and the high price which would necessarily be
asked for them, would effectually extinguish any attempt at commerce of
such articles»). He also notes that the Yomud sold food (dry salted fish)
and horse fodder to the Russians, but bought everything they needed from
Asterabad.
Another detail indirectly interesting for a ruggie: He notes
that while the Persians used tinned copper pots, such expensive material
was exceedingly seldom, in this area, in Turkoman villages (mainly Yomud
and Göklan), who used only iron pots. It is likely therefore that they
used iron pots for dyeing too, which more likely than not, often dulled
and «blued» their madder shades. O’ Donovan also mentions that the main
rivers in this area, the muddy Atterek and Giurgien, were carrying much
salt and clay (thus probably some iron too, included in the
clay).
Since the rules of Turkotek do not explicitly ban
harebrained theories, I feel free to suppose that the brightest turkoman
red shades came from clans rich enough to afford tinned copper pots,
reasonably pure alum and living near rivers uncontaminated by
iron.
Finally, a note which confirms Abbott’s: O‘Donovan indicates that
when it rains (thus, in winter), the hole in the center of the yurt dome
is closed and the only issue left for the smoke is the (then open) door.
Regards
Pierre |