Antique Turkmen Rugs

Antique Turkmen Rugs

As a group we now call them Turkmen Rugs. The old name in common usage was Turkoman Rugs but the trend today is to drop Turkoman rugs in favor of Turkmen rugs because Turkmen is the accepted English translation of the name of the people and their language. Earlier the rugs were called Bukhara or Afghan rugs.
When we wish to identify ethnicity political or geographic names are so fleeting as to be meaningless. Recently one national appraisal exam listed the correct answer for all Turkmen rugs as Russian. Obvious this is so maningtless as to be ludicrous. A number of years ago Dr. Jon Thompson was highly influential in the move to language names. It gives us a meaningful framework in which to understand the ruigs so following Thompson I use the language names for the rugs.
Therefore Turkmen rug because the weavers are Turkmen who speak one of the dialects of the Turkmen language. When in doubt we can categorize people by their "milk" language. If a woman's primary language is the Teke/Tekke dialect of Turkmen then we call her a Teke/Tekke Turkmen and if she weaves a rug then it is a Tekke Turkmen Rug. It would be more correct to say Teke Rugs but Tekke rugs is accepted in the rug dealer/collector community. Interestingly the rugs generally fall into groups that correspond to language. This has caused me to come to the conclusion that weaving is an unspoken language.
Turkmen as a language is a branch of the Ohguz language. Ohguz is made up of Turkmen, Northern Azeri and Southern Azeri. From Turkey to the Caucasus, Iran, and Central Asia a huge portion of the 'tribal" rugs are woven by weavers who are ethnically part of the Ohguz group.

Please see: Oguz versus Turkic/Southern a Linguistic Reassessment of the Turkish Languages .

Design Influences in Kerman/Kirman Antique Rugs

In my  Persian Rugs: Guide to Kerman Rugs  I reflected on the design influences on the rugs of Kerman/Kirman Antique Rugs

Portrait of Qajar Prince

"ex nihilo nihil fit" In theology we use the expression "ex nihilo nihil fit" which basically means "Nothing comes from nothing". In art the same applies. That which comes before influences that which is. I was struck by the importance of Kermani coats in Qajar society so I will group them here to look for design relationships with antique Kerman rugs.Also note the rug on the floor and the fresh flowers. Portrait of Prince Ardashir Mirza by Abu'l Hasan Ghaffari / Sani' al-Mulk d. 1852-53AD Portraitof Prince Imam Verdi Mirza in Kirman coat Second Half 19th C

Antique Serapi Heriz Persian Carpet

Antique Serapi Heriz Persian Carpet

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Antique Serapi Heriz Persian Rug from Herat Oriental's Oriental Rug warehouse in Alexandria, Va. Zia is a wholesale Importer of new and antique Persian and Oriental Rugs.

Notes on Elena Tsareva

Elena Tsareva is a delightful person whose brilliance is only matched by her incredible warmth, wit, and charm.  Tsareva  is a Curator at the Russian Ethnographic Museum in St. Petersburg Russia. I met here in Washington DC  in the late 1990s where we had a chance to examine the ensi that is illustrated here.  Tsareva  is considered one of the world's foremost experts on Turkmen Rugs.

Articles
1994 Suzanis of Central Asia, Eothen: Jahreshefte der Gesellschaft der Freunde Islamischer Kunst und Kultur, (trans. from Russian), 2./3. Jahrgang, 1991/92, Editio Maris, Munich, pp. 63-80.

Books:
Tzareva, R.: Rugs and Carpets from Central Asia ; Vienna: 1984.
Tsareva, Elena. Carpets of Central Asian Nomads ; Genova: 1993.
Tzareva, Elena. Rugs and Carpets from Central Asia: The Turkomans, the Uzbeks, the Karakalpaks, the Kirghiz, the Kazakhs, the Baluch. Aurora Art Publishers, Leningrad.
TURKMEN CARPETS: MASTERPIECES OF STEPPE ART, FROM 16TH TO 19TH CENTURIES, THE HOFFMEISTER COLLECTION

Iranian Yomut on Turkotek

Jafarbei Yomut Rug

For 15 years poor Steve Price has been disparaging me and my work. Mostly because of jealousy and bitterness over the times I have a little fun with him. But I glanced at Turkotek tonight and in the first thread I saw I noticed that like usual I was cited and a picture from my site was used. It must gall the heck out of Steve that even though Turkotek was created to keep me out Steve's intrepid band keeps dragging me back in. Here is an image that Rich Larkin added:

I do not really mind but I think it is very poor form to lift an image without a link back to the page they took it from. It takes the picture out of context and is a disservice to their readers. You can see the thread at: http://www.turkotek.com/VB37/showthread.php?t=1377 I wonder if Steve will remove the image after I post this. Seems to me that it is Jafarbei Yomut (Shi'a) rug. Steve was not clear on the tribe but he has learned a little over the years.

Antique Persian Farahan Oriental Rug

Antique Persian Rug that may well be an old Farahan Oriental Rug. The border looks mid 1800s and the snakes in the trees are very unusual. Let me know what you think this rug should be properly described as.

Tanavoli Iran's Greatest sculptor to Show Persian Rugs in Dubai

I have had the privilege of knowing Parviz Tanavoli for many years. In all that time despite being Iran's greatest sculptor and a huge commercial success Tanavoli has never lost his love for the traditional hand woven village and tribal rugs of the Iranian people. In 2005 Tanavoli and I vigorously lobbied the Iranian Ministry of Commerce in Tehran to preserve and protect the authentic village art of the Persian people. It is exciting to see his continued efforts to preserve the essential art form of the people of Iran. In many ways Tanavoli is to Persian Art what the Imam Khomeini was to Persian Shia Islam. When each returned from exile they changed the country and the world.

Tanavoli to showcase his Persian carpets in Dubai

Art Desk On Line: 03 December 2011 15:40 In Print: Sunday 04 December 2011

TEHRAN -- The Iranian Etemad Gallery in Dubai will be hanging a collection of Persian carpets created by veteran Iranian sculptor Parviz Tanavoli from December 9-14.

Highlighting the significance of Persian carpets and its beautiful designs and patterns, the exhibit will be narrating part of the history of Persian carpets.

Known as the country’s first significant modern sculptor, Tanavoli has concentrated on old pictorial carpets which have been replaced with modern designs these days, the Persian service of ILNA reported on Saturday.

Tanavoli is the author of “Persian Flatweaves”, the first comprehensive survey on Persian carpets and the exhibit is trying to show part of these old flatweaves.

Flatweaves have until recently been seen as merely the products and property of the poor. Since the late 1960s, however, growing attention has been paid to the best known type of flatweave, the kilim, revealing both its quality and variety.