Afghan Rugs: Andkhoy Turkmen Rug 3' by 5'

This is an exceptional quality Ersari Turkmen rug made by Afghans. It was sold to me as vegetal dyed and there is no reason to think other wise. I like to be cautious because I gave one fellow hell for making absolute dye attributions without chemical dye analyses, so let me say it looks vegetal. The wool quality is very high. The key to these Veg dye rugs is not the exact dye composition but rather that these represent the best grade of production with better dyes, better wool, harmonious color combinations, and a stricter attention to quality. Attribution is always a problem with Afghan rugs but following the clues and available information this appears to be be an Andkhoy Ersari rug. The handle of this rug is stiff and deeply depressed. The Waziri Gul uses more colors than would be expected in a Shebergan rug which is the other main place that Waziri rugs are woven so until I find a better answer Andkhoy seems a reasonable attribution.

New Turkmen Rug. Afghanistan, 20th century. 3 foot 5 inch by 5 foot. Structure: Asymmetrical knot open left. 10 knots per horizontal inch and 15 knots per vertical inch. 150 per square inch (2325 per square decimeter). deeply depressed. Yarn Spin: Z. Warp: 2 ply wool, gray. Weft: 2 shot blue wool. . Pile: 2 Wool singles. Ends: 1 1/2 inch warp faced plain weave, warp fringe. Selvages: 4 cord selvage wrapped in brown wool. Further Notes: New rug, meaty handle, great wool, No holes, tears, rips or low spots. Full pile.

The type of rug is called is called Waziri. Some folks have speculated that that means it is made by weavers in the Waziri tribe. That is rather unlikely since the Waziri do virtually no weaving and as a tribe of Southern Afghanistan who speaks a dialect of Western Pashtun have no cultural history of weaving. Another theory is that a "Wazir" or Government Official created the pattern. What ever the truth is it is a 20th century pattern that is distinctly Afghan in origin.

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Thanks and best wishes,

J. Barry O'Connell Jr.

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Index to JBOC's Rug Notes

Index

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B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z