Bakhtiari sumak bagface

Flat woven bags executed in various sumak techniques were crucial items for Persian and Caucasian nomads as they traveled with their flocks of animals. While the weavings of the Shahsevan are better known, south Persian tribal sumak bags represent no less of an accomplished artistic tradition. This mixed-technique Luri Bakhtiari piece is significantly finer than the vast majority of bags of its type, and it is undoubtedly significantly older as well. Bakhtiari weavers wove large elongated double bags in the format of khorjins that were used as large cargo bags. Because of the weight packed into these double cargo bags, weavers strengthened the bottoms of the bags by using more durable knotted pile at their most vulnerable areas.
This Luri Bakhtiari cargo bag face is exceptionally fine, and its drawing is delicate and animated. Against a central blue field, organically drawn abstracted red foliage emanates from a network of green and golden vine-scroll, and cotton white is used for highlighting adding extra depth and contrast. The guard borders trace a classic ‘harshang,’ (or crab) border type, while a rendition of this, incorporating pinwheels and snake-like zigzag elements, forms the main border. This border theme is further reinforced in the drawing of the pile bottom portion. All together, these components form a highly organized, coherent, and dynamic composition.