Bashir chuval

This extra large Bashir Turkmen tent bag draws a field derived from Central Asian ikat textile design. The particular ikat pattern seen here with an abstract lattice and elongated lobed elements formed from negative space is frequently seen on large format chuvals. Such weavings often use a darker burgundy madder red ground and utilize particularly soft wool. These pieces were woven in the Middle Amu Day region of Central Asia from the middle to the end of the 19th century. During the beginning of the 19th century we see the design in Afghan Turkmen weaving as various Turkmen tribes crossed the Oxus River seeking refuge from encroaching Czarist Russian forces. The alternating trees drawn in the bottom ‘elem’ panel of this example as well as the row of flowering shrubs seen at the top are particularly well rendered.