WEST TURKMENISTAN, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

Details

A TEKKE "ANIMAL-TREE" ASMALYK
West Turkmenistan, first half 19th century
The brick-red ground with an overall lattice of ivory and blue crenellated and serrated leaves enclosing lozenge panels each containing a stylised tree flanked by paired addorsed animals, in an ivory curl-hook border between meandering geometric stripes, lower three sides with outer multiple barber-pole stripes, a couple of small repairs, slight loss to upper edge, lower three sides rebound, good pile
2ft.7in. x 4ft.10in. (78 x 147cm.)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

The Tekke animal-tree asmalyk was first clearly identified as a group by Robert Pinner and Michael Franses (Turkoman Studies I, London, 1980, pp.114-133), although the motif had been published by Felkerzam as early as 1914. At the time of the article only seven examples were known, although since then a few more have appeared, bringing the total number to around twelve. Within the group the present asmalyk shares with only one other, that which in 1980 was known from the Perez archive (listed in the article as Frank Williams Collection), the straight sides to the upper band of panels. The Perez asmalyk however has an extra animal above each tree, so cannot be considered as a pair to the present example. Another feature which distinguishes this example from the others is the upper inverted curl-hooks in each lozenge panel which closes off the top, rather than it continuing upwards.

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