Lot 105

TURKMEN CARPET ERSARI BEŞIR

A remarkable and historically acclaimed group of carpets, called ‘Beshir’, which were created with nomadic art for the houses of wealthy townspeople in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Typical of this group are the long, wide treads, suited to the demands of the wealthy merchants of the time, so in this case it is a highly atypical bespoke format. The hand-knotted wool carpet on a wool warp of beautiful goat hair is an authentic creation of the women of ersar both in its design and in its stunning - and highly appealing - colour palette. It is all natural and dominated by a unique shade of red from the root of the dye-worm (Rubia tinctorum), with the different colours still clearly visible today in the “abrash”, a graceful and natural alternation of different shades mixed by the newly settled nomads from different dye-worms from steppe plants, foliage and roots. Various geometric ornaments, symbolizing trees, plants, stars, etc., are the dominant element of the tribal design; yellow cross elements without Christian connotations are used as a purely lucky symbol. The catchy design is impressively contrasted by the ivory star border made of undyed wool. Binders of the Turkmen Ersari tribe, ca. 1880. Professionally cleaned on both sides.