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Central Asia is acknowledged by most authorities as the most likely birthplace of oriental rug, and the Turkoman nomads who have inhabited the region for millennia are generally accepted as having inherited the oldest pile-weaving tradition still in existence.
Marco Polo’s glowing report of the beautiful, densely knotted rugs he witnessed during his visit to Turkestan in 1280, could equally be applied to some of the finer items being made there today. Certainly, the essential characteristics and overall appearance of Turkoman rugs have hardly changed for centuries.
They are almost always red (although a myriad of different shades, from rose to magenta, give them a subtly varied decorative appeal) and their designs are usually based on either repeating gul and vegetal motifs, or more occasionally, hatchli schemes.
The Turkomans who were primarily nomadic and semi nomadic herdsmen, occupied a vast territory stretching from Caspian Sea in the west to Tibet in the East, and bounded north and south by the borderlands of Russian and Persia. Today, these ancient tribal lands have been absorbed into the surrounding countries. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are now independent and east Turkestan is now part of China, and Baluchistan has been split between Iran and Afghanistan.
Despite this, Turkoman rugs have retained much of their original character, and a Bokhara made in all times even during Russian take over will still possess the same essential qualities as one made in Persian or Afghanistan. However, the weaving of Turkoman rugs has taken a different direction in each country, and there are now certain variations in the overall quality and characteristics of the rugs, as well as in the manner in which they are made. |
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