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Lot Essay
This example of a Bird Asmalyk is not recorded in the 1980 list of known examples which lists in detail the location and publication of each (Pinner, Robert and Franses, Michael: "Some interesting Tekke products and their Designs", Turkoman Studies I, London, 1980, p.120). Since that list was published a few more have appeared bringing the known number to about twenty.
In layout the present example is very similar to that in the museum of Oriental Art, Moscow, with six complete bird lozenges woven on each diagonal. It is, however, very finely woven with shallow knots which means that the drawing is more condensed on the vertical warps than is seen on the Moscow example. The most similar to have appeared at auction is one which sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 January 1990, lot 65. As in the present example and those in Moscow, there was a multiple repeat of the field design, although there, in contrast to the present one, each alternate row of birds faces in the opposite direction.
This asmalyk is in remarkably good condition. In virtually full pile throughout, it retains the woven applied bands which, apart from here, are only found on two pairs of asmalyks in Russia, on the Fred asmalyk, and on the Sotheby New York example noted above. (Pinner and Franses, op.cit., pls. 214-5 and 222-3, pp.115 and 118).
In layout the present example is very similar to that in the museum of Oriental Art, Moscow, with six complete bird lozenges woven on each diagonal. It is, however, very finely woven with shallow knots which means that the drawing is more condensed on the vertical warps than is seen on the Moscow example. The most similar to have appeared at auction is one which sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 January 1990, lot 65. As in the present example and those in Moscow, there was a multiple repeat of the field design, although there, in contrast to the present one, each alternate row of birds faces in the opposite direction.
This asmalyk is in remarkably good condition. In virtually full pile throughout, it retains the woven applied bands which, apart from here, are only found on two pairs of asmalyks in Russia, on the Fred asmalyk, and on the Sotheby New York example noted above. (Pinner and Franses, op.cit., pls. 214-5 and 222-3, pp.115 and 118).