Early Rare Ersari Beshir
180 x 116 cm (5' 11" x 3' 10")
Turkmenistan, first half 19th century
Condition: good, low pile in places, corroded dark brown, several old repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool

This richly coloured small carpet is the product of the looms of the bewildering mixture of semi-nomadic Turkmen tribes assembled in the Middle Amu Darya region in the early to mid-19th century.
These carpets were sometimes made for local use or collected in the town of Beshir and sold into urban markets such as Bukhara, where the boteh design was popular. Elena Tsareva, in Turkmen Carpets, identifies three distinct weaving districts within the Amu Darya.
The darkly rich colour palette, and occasional use of what appears to be goat hair in the foundation and pile yarns, suggest that this carpet was a product of the northern oasis region, and potentially woven by members of Kizil Ayak-affiliated tribes.
The offset rows have nine or ten botehs which alternate in colour between blue, blue-green, and green, being made from over-dyeing the original blue dye batch.
It is interesting to note that in some instances, the spiky tops of the botehs carry additional small elements that lend a zoomorphic equine character to some of these motifs.