Tekke carpet (223)

Tekke main carpet from western Turkmenistan

Age: circa 1875

Size: 9′.8″x6′.6″ (295×198 cm) including the kilim ends

This extraordinary Tekke main carpet displays four columns each of ten characteristic guls on a tomato red field with unusual secondary guls normally appearing on Yomud bagfaces.The guls are quartered in ivory and burnt apricot.The major border shows octagons enclosing four stars alternating with a wide selection of geometric strips on the sides;in each end border the octagons are separated by small lattice panels.The flanking minor borders employ reciprocal ram’s horn patterns in red,ivory,navy and medium blue.There are four barber pole lines in the border system.Furthermore,there are four lines with short multicolor diagonal stripes.At each end is a particularly broad red plain weave with four bunches of three blue stripes and small weft pattern ornaments.In total there are three weaving techniques:knotted pile;supplementary weft (cicim) and flatweave.Additionally,there are two narrow blue stripes and an ivory plain weave terminating the ends of the carpet.The weave is fine and compact.The colors are crystal clear and all from natural sources.The wool quality is superb.The condition of this attractive carpet is good and so is the pile except for some small old repairs visible from the image.