Turkmen Main Carpet

Description

In the Islamic world, carpets symbolize status and wealth. A carpet’s origin can be identified by its design, color, and technique. Shades of red and lobed motifs, or guls, are hallmarks of Turkmen carpets woven by nomadic tribes across northeast Iran, Afghanistan, and central Asia. This main carpet of the Yomud tribe features beautiful colors in the guls on a rich aubergine ground; the decorated skirts, or elem, with stylized flora at each end, are its rarest feature. This carpet would have been the prized possession within the living quarters of a round tent, or yurt.

Provenance

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey; Dr. E. B. Long

Turkmen Main Carpet

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mid-1850s

Accession Number

2010.190

Medium

Wool, knotted pile, 128-136 symmetrical knots per square inch

Dimensions

Overall: 290 x 160 cm (114 3/16 x 63 in.)

Classification

Carpet

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of E.B. and Joan C. Long