WEST TURKMENISTAN, MID 19TH CENTURY

One of a rare group of red-ground Yomut asmalyks with a design, more commonly found on an ivory ground, consisting of seven vertical rows of trees decorated with erre güls, overlapped by a thin ivory diamond lattice off which are diagonal serrated leaves. Generally woven in pairs, asmalyks were used to decorate the flanks of the wedding camel during the wedding procession. Presented to the bride's future husband at the marriage ceremony, he would later hang them inside the yurt as symbols of power and fertility. Another of the group with a white-ground border decorated with syrga motifs was published by Bausback in 1980, (P. Bausback, Alte und antike orientalische Knüpfkunst. Mannheim 1980, pl. p.136). A pair of red-ground asmalyks of identical field design were published by Herrmann, (E. Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche 9, Munich 1987, no. 84). It is rare to find the original long polychrome braided tassels that remain along the lower border of the present lot as well as the additional hanging cords.