Turkmen Main Carpet
Unknown Artist
mid-1850s
Medium
Wool, knotted pile, 128-136 symmetrical knots per square inch
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":2.9,"width":1.6}}
Classification
Carpet
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of E.B. and Joan C. Long
Accession Number
2010.190
About this artwork
In the Islamic world, carpets symbolize status and wealth. A carpet’s origin can be identified by its design, color, and technique. Shades of red and lobed motifs, or guls, are hallmarks of Turkmen carpets woven by nomadic tribes across northeast Iran, Afghanistan, and central Asia. This main carpet of the Yomud tribe features beautiful colors in the guls on a rich aubergine ground; the decorated skirts, or elem, with stylized flora at each end, are its rarest feature. This carpet would have bee...