Lot Essay
Predominantly woven by the Yomud and Tekke tribes, asmalyks were traditionally woven in pairs and would be used during Turkmen wedding ceremonies to decorate either side of the camel on which the bride would be carried. The pentagonal form is created through a combination of both plain and piled weaving techniques which requires greater skill on the part of the weaver. A closely related example is illustrated in E.Herrman, Seltene Orientteppiche, IV, Munich, 1982, pp.238-39, pl.88.