Lot 134
  • 134

A Yomud main carpet, West Turkestan

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description

  • wool
  • approximately 8ft. 5in. by 4ft. 11in. (2.57 by 1.50m.)

Exhibited

Turkmen: Tribal Carpets and Traditions, The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C., 1980, no. 63

Tribal Identities: Turkoman rugs from Central Asia, Minasian Rug Co., Evanston, Illinois, 10 December 1999 - 27 February 2000

Literature

Louise W. Mackie and Jon Thompson, Turkmen: Tribal Carpets and Traditions, Washington, D.C.: The Textile Museum, 1980, no. 63, p. 148

Hans Sienknecht, "A Turkic Heritage," Hali, issue 47, p. 32, fig. 7

Joseph W. Fell, "The Art of the Opportune," Hali, issue 146, p. 147

Condition

Pile ranges from approximately 1/8 inch to low to knotheads in areas of scattered foldwear; scattered reweaves, largest approximately 8 x 7 inches near center; others in upper left corner; right side border and field; smaller scattered reweaves in borders, few in field; 27 inch repaired slit lower left corner terminating in 6 x 5 inch reweave in lower border. Sides and ends missing outer guard stripes. Sides with partially rewoven guard borders at lower end (15 inches along edge); later overcast. Lower end with small reweaves in borders; upper right corner w/ small reweave, ends secured with chainstitch, cloth tape and hanging rings sewn to reverse of upper end. Supple handle, sound fabric and condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

The carpet offered here belongs to the rare group II of Yomud C-gul carpets, see Hans Sienknecht, "A Turkic Heritage," Hali, issue 47, pp. 30-39 for a description of the four subdivisions of C-gul carpets. In his breakdown of these Yomud carpets, the author defines those carpets having the serrated or C-guls and one other gul type as group II and points out that, theoretically, weaving with such mixture of guls might be the result of the merger of two tribal traditions, as in the case of intertribal marriage or conquest. The present carpet features the C-gul as well as the Kepsi-gul and thus belongs to group II. For illustrations of the gul types see Jon Thompson and Louise W. Mackie, Turkmen, Washington, D.C. 1980, p. 147. Only few group II C-gul carpets are known: one was sold Skinner, Boston, 29 November 1984, lot 85. Both the Skinner carpet and the lot offered here have an open, deep colored ground on which the guls are well spaced. However, while the guls on the carpet sold in 1984 are somewhat rigid in their arrangement, the guls on the carpet offered here are set in a more freely. Another difference is the type of gul added to the C-gul in the field: on the Boston carpet transitional guls are used, whereas on the lot offered here the weavers employed a traditional Kepsi-gul. The ivory border of this carpet also differs from that on the Skinner carpet, as here the design is not one continuous meandering band but a collection of individual stylized flower heads that recall the shapes of minor guls.