Arabatchi-Chodor ala Dr.Thompson Page 2

I am going to use this page to gather up a few thoughts and maybe when I get to see this rug in person then we can make further progress. But for now it is a chance for me to learn a little. Anyone who has any input feel free to comment.

Arabatchi-Chodor ala Dr.Thompson Page 1

Chaudor Gul
Here we see the small iconographic forms that often occur in Chaudor ertman guls. see Eiland Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide Il. 219 D

What I expect to see in a Chaudor Rug:

Warps: 2 Z2S undyed gray or brown warps of wool and or animal hair including goat and camel.
Wefts: two wefts one wool and one cotton.
Pile: asymmetric, open to the right (usually Oriental Rugs pg. 239).
Selvage 3 or 4 cords wrapped with goat or wool usually in a dark color and in older pieces two color checkerboard pattern Oriental Rugs pg. 239.
Wool: often poor quality which combined with thin cotton wefts can cause structural problems. Oriental Rugs pg. 239.

Arabatchi Gul
Here we see a gul of the type we generally see attributed to the Arabatchli. see Hali 96 page 93v

What I expect to see in a Arabatchi Rug:

Warps: 2 Z2S undyed tan brown warps wool.

Wefts: two wefts one brown wool and one white cotton.

Pile: asymmetric, open to the left (usually Oriental Rugs pg. 240).

Selvage ???

Note the different iconography in these guls.

A question that I have had and apparently so did the Eilands when the wrote Oriental Rugs, who are the Arabatchi? Eiland notes that Murav'yov and Vamberey did not mention the Arabatchi. To that I will note that linguistically Arabatchi is not a recognized dialect of Turkmen. So for a while I had serious reservations about the Arabatchi as a tribe. Then I came to understand that Abul-Ghazi Bahadur Khan (1603-1663), ruler of Khiva, mentioned the Arabatchi in Secere-i Terakime. Abul-Ghazi Bahadur Khan is an important source since he was both a ruler and a historian of the Turkmen. So his book written in about 1659 is a crucial source. Unfortunately the English edition has been out of print for over 200 years.

Abu Al Ghazi Bahadur, A History of the Turks, Moguls, and Tatars, Vulgarly called Tartars, Together with a Description of the Countries They Inhabit (London, 1730) Two Vols.

So I will conceded that it appears that the Arabatchi should be considered a very old tribe and not a sub-tribe of another group such as the Yomut or the Chaudor.

A few notes:

ACOR 3 Chodor or Pseudo-Chodor? 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Marquee 1 & 2 There appear to be two distinct weaving traditions within the Chodor tribal family, and Michael Rothberg and Kurt Munkacsi will team up to unscramble the mystery. The possibility of a Chodor-Arabatchi linkage will also be discussed. Examples shown will include several rare ensis and unusual asmalyks. ACOR 3 Preview
Arabatchi: Ensi, Oriental Rug Review VIII/4/56

Journey to Khiva through the Turkoman country by Nikolay Murav'yov, translated from the German by W S A Lockhart, and originally published in Russian.

Persian Rugs and Carpet

Turkish Rugs

Turkmen Rugs

JBOC's Notes on the Bible

Persian Carpet Guide

Caucasian Rugs

Arabatchi-Chodor ala Dr.Thompson Page 1