Yomut Chuval, Turkmenistan late 18th or early 19th cent., 2ft. 8in. x 3ft. 2in.
Condition: very good, small area of moth lower right, incomplete at sides
Provenance: East Trans-Caspian Steppe
Age: Late 18th or Early 19th Century
Size: 02’ 08†x 03’ 02â€
Knot type: Symmetrical. z2. Some warp sharing by adjacent hor: sq. inch: 10 200 vert: 20 knots. The horizontal “running dog†border exhibits alternating offset rows of knotting exclusively. This idiosyncrasy occurs sporadically throughout.
Warp: z2s. Natural mixed dark ivory and medium brown goat hair. One level.
Weft: z2. One strand natural mixed brown camel hair and one strand natural white cotton. Two passes.
Sides: Original not extant.
Ends: Top - Balanced plain weave folded over 1.25†then folded under and sewn. Bottom - Original not extant.
Colors: (8) Mahogany red, ivory, teal blue, dark indigo, dark orange, dark brown, yellow ocher, cobalt blue.
Design: On a mahogany red ground the field contains three rows of three chuval guls with “football†gul centers. The secondary guls are a cruciform device with a diamond at the center. A squared four petal blossom ends each horizontal appendage and a three petal palmette ends each vertical appendage. A three fork extends from each appendage extreme. The main border contains a polychrome ashik repeat with opposing doga “C“ devices between the ashiks on a teal blue ground. Running dog minor borders. The horizontal rendition of this border is a more archaic version clearly depicting birds or raptors which it would seem to be the totemic root of this border. At the bottom a plain mahogany red elem (7â€) and at the top a 2†elem as at bottom but with an indigo slant bar stripe across the top edge.
References: published Elmby, H., ANTIQUE TURKMEN CARPETS III, Copenhagen 1996, page 12, Plate 17
Condition: Very good, small area of moth lower right. Incomplete at sides.

Condition: very good, small area of moth lower right, incomplete at sides