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Compounding the picture, differences in palette, design, yarn character, and weave structure—tools for determining when, where, and by what group a rug was made—are often confoundingly subtle in Turkmen examples. The many questions still surrounding Turkmen carpets contribute to the mystery and fascination they continue to hold.
Since 1991, the demise of the Soviet Union and the formation of independent states from its former Central Asian republics have made the Turkmen and their culture more accessible; the sudden opening of collections, libraries, and archives to the outside world has promoted international collaboration among scholars of Turkmen art and history. As a result, many of the old ideas about Turkmen carpets and tent trappings are being challenged. For Tent and Trade will explore some of these new findings and how they are changing our understanding of this complex weaving tradition.
Camel trapping for a bridal procession (kejebelik)
Central Asia, Turkmen people, Salor tribe, ca. 1800-1850
Wool, silk; knotted pile (asymmetrical knot, open to the left)
Wiedersperg Collection, Gift of Wolfgang and Gisela Wiedersperg
1997.142.7
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Section of a tentband
Central Asia, Turkmen people, 18th C.
Wool; warp-faced plain weave with knotted pile on alternate warps
Gif of George and Marie Hecksher
2000.186.3
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