A Salor Wedding Trapping, Central Turkestan

corroded magenta silk

Turkmen and Antique Carpets from the Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Jon Thompson, Sotheby's New York, December 16, 1993, lot 58

Elena Tsarava, "Salor Carpets", Hali, vol. 6, no. 2, p. 132
Elisabeth Gill, "Passion, Fashion and Greed," Hali, issue 100, p. 165, fig. 6

Wool pile generally good closely sheared 1/8th of an inch with some dark browns oxidized to knotheads and areas of vertical foldwear also low to knotheads. Silk pile corroded down to knotheads and showing warps in areas. 2 in. by 1 in. darned reweave in central medallion. A few foldwear slits in left medallion. Partial side borders now overcast in madder red wool. Partial ends now secured with a binding stitch. Dense weave. Flexible handle. Lustrous wool; sound fabric.
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.

 "Few Turkmen pieces match the monumentality of this trapping"  wrote Jon Thompson in the 1993 catalogue cited above. The large scale and lavish use of silk, a precious material for the Turkmen, are matched by the careful execution of a very grand and emblematic design.  This trapping was woven for use only for the most important of occasions, the wedding.  The three bold darvaza güls have silk grounds that have corroded down to the knot bases creating a relief effect against the deep red ground and the flanking kejebe motifs.  In coloring and use of silk, this trapping is very similar to the well-known Coury trapping sold twice in these rooms; January 20, 1990, lot 106 and May 31, 1986, lot 67.   There are some 20 known Salor wedding trappings of similar design, with the numbers of darvaza güls ranging from one to three, see Hali, issue 171, p. 123.   The other seven trappings with three large darvaza güls as in this lot are:  Hoffmeister collection, see Elena Tsareva, Turkmen Carpets, Stuttgart, 2011, pl. 9, pp. 32-33 and Günther Dresden, March 4, 2000, lot 240; Sotheby's New York, April 13, 1995, lot 82; Sotheby's New York, December 5, 1987, lot 54;  in the Wiedersperg Collection at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, see Robert Pinner and Murray L. Eiland, Jr., Between the Black Desert and the Red, San Francisco, 1999, pl. 4, p. 25 and Ulrich Schürmann, Central-Asian Rugs, Frankfurt am Main, 1969, pl. 7, p. 83;  a pair, Dreweatt Neate, Newbury, November 2, 1988, lot 368 and Eberhart Herrmann, Asiatische Teppich-und Textilkunst, Munich, 1989, pl. 53, pp. 114-115; and the Arthur D. Jenkins piece now in the Textile Museum, see Jon Thompson and Louise Mackie, Turkmen, Washington, D.C., 1980, pl. 14, pp. 78-79.