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Of the Turkic people of Central Asia among the oldest
identifiable groups are the Kirghiz.
In Oriental
Rugs A New Comprehensive Guide Murray Eiland Jr.
cites the Chinese Chronicles of the Han dynasty (100 BC to 100 AD) and
the eighth century Orkhan inscriptions to show that the Kirghiz are
very old. Kirghiz are very special to rug scholars because they have
been very isolated from corrupting market influences. By this I mean
that there is no, nor has there ever been, a commercial market
production of Kirghiz
goods so the weavers weave what it is that they have always woven.
These bands are made by a floating warp technique that
places limits on width. The wider the band the more difficult it is to
weave. This Gajari at
almost 10 inches is wide for Gajari
stripes. I am attributing this to the Kirghiz
from the Pamir of Afghanistan.
One well known but shy rug expert feels I am wrong on this one and Uzbek from Afghanistan is the
proper attribution.
How
We Select Our Rugs
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Kirghiz
or Uzbek, Afghanistan, Circa
1925. 4 foot 10 by 13 foot.
Structure: Warp faced weave bands cut and sewn
together.
Yarn Spin: Z.
Warp: 2 ply wool ground color.
Weft: 2 ply wool, brown.
Ends: warp twined.
Further Notes: Semi-antique piece very good
condition.
Provenance: From the collection of a prominent
American Collector/Expert.
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A note on attribution:
I know a few of you are no doubt asking how in the
world can he call this Kirghiz.
Well I suppose I am out on a limb so to speak but let me explain my
reasoning. Over the years I have seen a number of Uzbek tent bands and
owned some. One time George
O'Bannon was in town for a talk on non-Turkmen Central Asian
weaving and I took two of the bands to his talk and he agreed that they
were Uzbek. So I have some familiarity with Uzbek
warp face bands. So when I look at this piece it seems different.
Color, color usage, handle and general look seem different from Uzbek. So Then I have to ask
is this one of
Eiland's Ghilzai Pashtun Gujaris? I do not feel comfortable
with that one so I look for any structural clues.
The selvages are an unusual type. Not many woven
items are seen with warp twined band end finishes and Marla Mallett
shows two examples in her new book Woven
Structures: A Guide to Oriental Rug and Textile Analysis. Marla attributes
both examples to the Kirghiz.
There is also extensive use of hand spun cotton to give a bright white.
Conclusive proof? No this is a tentative
attribution based on guess work, connoisseurship, and tenuous evidence.
Nonetheless I feel confident and welcome comments from any who agree or
disagree.
Kirghiz
or Uzbek - Does it
matter?
- To a collector or scholar maybe but for
everyone else this is a beautiful carpet that is very usable.
Does being Kirghiz
make it more valuable?
- Not that I know of, neither Uzbek nor Kirghiz seems to be
preferred over the other in the marketplace. Both are very desirable.
Why Do I bother.
- This is my way of having fun. Finding great
rugs, researching them, using forensic analyzing and profiling
techniques to identifying them is my idea of fun. Some people bowl or
go fishing, I study rugs.
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For Further Reading:
Guide
to Rugs & Books
La
Miniature En Orient
Mallett,
Marla. Woven Structures: A Guide to Oriental Rug and Textile Analysis.
Southwest
Asia Time Line
Thanks and best wishes,
J. Barry O'Connell Jr.
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