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Turkmen rugs
are mostly asymmetrically knotted,
although some Saryk and Yomut pieces are
symmetrically knotted. They are mostly
of all wool, but some tribes use cotton
in the wefts. Occasionally there are
patches of silk used as highlights.
The Turkmen people emerged during the
late first millennium as pastoral nomads
in the Turk lands. Gradually, they grew
in power and by the 19th century one
tribe named- the Tekke had become
dominant in the oasis of Merv (now Mary)
and Tedjend (now Tejen).
They had woven rugs for centuries and
even after most of them became settled
they continued to make rugs in sizes and
shapes suitable for the nomadic life
they had lived in felt tents. The main
carpet of this dwelling ranged around 6
× 10 feet (1.8 × 3 metres), and the
Turkmen also wove smaller pieces as door
coverings, bags for storage, long,
narrow bands to encircle the tents, and
decorative trappings.
Important rug weavers include the Tekke
whose main carpets are characterized by
a certain gul, or octagonal motif,
repeated in rows across the rug. Other
people, including the Saryk and Salor,
produced similar rugs but with different
guls that are also indicative of a
tribal identity.
The wool used in Turkoman weaving is
renowned in the trade for its lustrous
and hard-wearing properties. It comes
from the famous indigenous breed of
Karakul sheep, which is equally renowned
in the fur trade for its Karakul
lambskins. The Karakul sheep is a
fat-tailed breed having a dual fleece,
that is, two types of wool growing
simultaneously. The outer fleece has
longer staples than the soft crinkly
wool of the inner fleece, which when
carefully sorted and blended produce
ideal carpet wool.
Weaving- traditionally on a horizontal
loom - is usually done by women. All
sizes of carpets and rugs, ranging from
mats to runners to the "over-sizes", are
made throughout the year. Larger
carpets, however, because they are
usually woven in the open are mainly
produced during the summer months.The
majority of Mauri carpets and rugs are
of single weft, whereas in the main
other Turkoman goods are double wefted.
The Persian or Sennah knot is generally
used.
When weaving
a carpet, no set plan is followed: the
design is entirely executed from memory
- a testimony to the fact that Turkoman
designs and symbols are of unknown age
and representative of their own
particular culture.
Besides carpets and rugs, the Turkomans
produce countless items made with wool
for their daily domestic needs - wood
and metal being unobtainable or
difficult to come by. For example, the
doorway of the yurt, the circular
wood-framed tents in which Turkomans
live is closed by a type of carpet
called a "purdah" (curtain), also called
a hatchlou or Ensi, fringed at the
bottom and having at the top a cord with
which to tie it to the framework. |
