WEST TURKMENISTAN, MID-19TH CENTURY

The present lot is an example of the feastive weavings made especially for the bridal procession of the Turkman bride. Asmalyks, usually five-sided and made in pairs, were used to decorate the sides of the bridal camel and were made either in a pile technique or in the more spectacular embroidery technique as in this example. Embroidered Tekke asmalyks, made in a fashion similar to Central Asian suzanis, typically have a woolen background on which a design depicting flowering plants is mapped out for the embroidery work. These are usually stitched with a combination of silk and wool threads most commonly in the colors found in this piece. A variety of stitches are used, some of the more frequently found are the kesdi or ladder stitch and the basma, similar to stitches found on Turkman wedding coats. Because of the embroidery technique, a more naturalistic and detailed design is achieved as opposed to asmalyks made in the pile technique which tend to be more geometric and stiff in nature.

The subject of embroidered asmalyks is explored by Michael Franses in Turkoman Studies I, London, 1980 in the article titled "Emboridered Tekke Asmalyk" (pp. 164-171). A very similar piece with the same five flower format and nearly identical border to the one offered here is discussed (p.166, fig.356) in this article. Both depict five similarly treated flower stems each with a large blossom at the top with smaller blossom along the stem and surrounded by indigo "drop-flowers". Our example has a dynamic alternation of pink and red colors in both the five major blossoms and ancillary blossoms, as well as a halo-effect around these five stems created by the indigo "drop-flowers". It is easy to imagine the splendid impression of the colorful and elegant outfits of the wedding caravan, such as this piece, in the monochromatic desert locale.