Early Ersari Beshir
263 x 123 cm (8' 8" x 4')
Turkmenistan, early 19th century
Condition: good according to age, low pile, several small professional repairs, both lower and right upper corner restored
Published: "Turkmen Carpets - a new perspective, volume 1", Jürg Rageth, No. 27
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool

This exceptional and important carpet is featured in its pre-restoration state in Jürg Rageth's seminal work on Turkmen weavings, Turkmen Carpets: A New Perspective (Basel, 2016), as plate 27.
The carpet had been first published by David Reuben in 1998; it was dated in both places to the early 19th century. Rageth expended great effort in re-ascribing the design to early animal representation, and within the Sasanian design tradition, rather than simply suggesting that this is floral design.
His research clearly identifies the main motif as a simurgh, the mystical beast referred to in Iranian myths such as Ferdowsi's Shanama or 'Book of Kings', where it is shown as a composite bird with the head of a dog, the feet of a lion and the wings and tail of a peacock. This symbolises the power of kings, and the highly stylised form here also repeats the lotus flower that is often seen as an accompaniment in early silks and ceramics.
The different border on the horizontal and vertical axes is found on the main carpets from this period.
The weavings of the Ersari that do not depict the typical gül patterns associated with Turkmen tribes have often escaped the serious consideration of many connoisseurs, but Rageth thought this carpet has securely established these weavings within the long-established artistic and weaving tradition of the region.