Turkman Rugs History
Turkmen rugs carry a rich history that can witness in the handwork done on the pieces. Turkman rug is a type of handmade floor-covering textile, that originally belongs to the nomadic group of Central Asia.
It resembles many other styles of rugs produced in Pakistan and Central Asia, today. These rugs were originated from the Turkmen ties – the main ethnic group residing in Turkmenistan., also found in some parts of Iran and Afghanistan.
These nomadic rugs are used for tents, door/wall hangings, and bags as well.
What makes Turkmen Rugs special?
The fun fact is that Turkmenistan’s flag is adorned with five main patterns of the Turkmen rugs.
It indicates the value of handmade rugs for the Turkmens. The flags’ motifs are placed in the representation of subtribes: Yomut, Ersari, Saryk, Choudor, and Tekke. Each of them has its specific design, distinct and noticeable.
There are kinds in Turkmen rugs, traditionally most of them are made of woolen, except for the silken wrap, generally used for dowry rugs.
But, these days cotton warp and weft are also used in its making.
While making these rugs, craftsmen double-weft rugs with symmetrical (Turkish) Knots and looms are laid horizontally.
Iranian Turkmen Rugs are denser than the rugs made in Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan. Turkmen Rugs are used for various purposes and have a traditional way of setting.
But in this modern-day, they are mostly used for the accent or focal point in the space.
Dying and Painting of Turkmen Rugs!
The color palette used in the making of Turkmen carpets and Rugs is kind of limited. It varies in the shades of crimson and yellowish crimson, as both of them are obtained from madder.
Also, the subordinate colors are usually blue, white, black, green, brown, reddish-brown, and olive.
The dyeing material is mainly natural, but in some instances, chemical dyeing is also used, mostly in recent times.
Persian Influence
Turkmen culture has blended with Iranian culture and that can be observed in the artifacts and handcrafted items. This influence can be the result of the ethnic mixture, such as Sogdians, Chorasmians, and Scythians.
So, it is not unusual to find Persian names and patterns in the designs, such as Filpay (Elephant Foot), the “Chemche” (Cupped Spoon), Ayna(Mirror), and many more. This Persian inspiration is has led to many fusional patterns.
These interesting, bright shade of rugs have always managed to stay in the limelight because of their uniqueness and classic design and patterns.
The Element of culture
Turkmen rugs have a kind of blended styles, as the custom of weaving carpets was spread throughout the area, back in the days, and numerous nomadic tribes were present who regularly used to move from one place to another.
One of the speciality of Turkmen rugs is that it tells a lot about the people who lived in these regions, specifically the kind of live they had through its design and color pallets.
Rugs were not just the decorative element for the nomadic people, but it was considered as the most import element in their domestic life. The Turkmens used to live a unique tent and each corner of the tent used to be covered and decorated with a handmade dedicated carpet. Each one particularly crafted for the specific corner.
The rugs crafted for the ground were supposed to insulate the floor from the ground, and others used to be place over the wall and window frames to cover them. Also, these rugs were used to separate the various rooms or areas in within the tents, but special ones were used to welcome the guests.
Interestingly, special rugs were used on the backs and horses, it was traditional practice in the tribes. And some other rugs pieces were used as sacks to store and protect the household things.
The Luxury Turkmen Carpets
The warm and intense colors of the rugs mainly distinguish them as the luxury range in Turkmen Rugs. The predominant hues like reds and browns are obtained by dyeing the wool mainly with madder. Moreover, to enhance the bright pallet colors like blue and beige are used to give an accent. These colors are obtained from the dried herbs and raw wool.
DESIGNS AND PATTERNS
The characteristic decorative motifs are considered as the most important element in the distinguishing the luxury Turkmen carpets from those made in the other areas of Central and South Asia.
Among various motifs, woven by the local Turkmen and Uzbek women, Gul (Flower) or Mihrab motifs are predominantly famous.
The gul pattern is woven in a repetitive manners, like a series of octagonal medallions with intricated tinny decorations inside, divided into four parts. And the repetitive medallions give carpet an interesting geometric pattern which make it different from the elaborate design of Persian rugs and the Chinese rugs that carry rich symbolic patterns.
You can find a wide range of Turkmen rugs on Pakbargain’s official website.