WEST TURKMENISTAN, CIRCA 1890

Robert Pinner owned the archetype of this rare group of engsis with trees and animals worked into the elem skirt (Robert Pinner, "The Turkmen Ensi in Literature and Life", Hali 132, Jan-Feb 2004, pl.1, p.96. They were discussed by him with Michael Franses in "Some interesting Tekke Products and their Designs, 3: The Animal tree Ensi", Turkoman Studies I, London, 1980, pp.134-163). This is one of the few examples to have appeared since that publication came out.