Tekke

This small Tekke Turkmen mat or ‘wedding rug’ represents the final phase of Tekke weaving before the large scale introduction of synthetic dyes in the early 20th century. Traditional Tekke quartered-medallions, or ‘guls’, of the type seen in earlier renditions of these small format pieces, as well as large main carpets, are paired in the field with an adaptation of the Tekke ‘ghorbagheh’ or ‘frog’ secondary gul. The elem panels found at either end are similarly a favored form found on both these small Tekke pieces as well as on main carpets woven by the tribe. The main border here has been narrowed in order to accommodate several additional minor guard borders. This seems to be a feature of later Tekke weaving, as earlier 19th-century pieces tend to favor more open spacing. Here the weaver is showcasing her prowess by adding multiple variants. The result of this multi-layered border system is a new sense of movement and a more definite demarcation between the borders and the field.