Bachtiari Zagros Mountains

In 1976 Shusha Guppy followed the Bachtiari through the Zagros mountains and narrated the documentary People ofThe Wind. A second documentary was shot in 1994 titled Nomaden - Der lange Treck der Bachtiari directed by Mehran Bozorgnia. The hardships suffered in the long trek over the Zagros mountains give us some insights into a nomadic existence in a difficult and challenging environment.

Arab nomads of Qataghan were making the journey to summer pastures around Badakshan in North East Afghanistan. By the 1960's the more wealthy of these nomads were making their journey to the mountains by air. 1 1. Barfield. T The Central Asian Arabs of Afghanistan University of Texas Press 1981 122, 123

Shusha Guppy Migration of the Bakhtiari Tribes... by kykourosh06

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Primitive Skins from the Stone Age Part 4

A few years ago a group of fur rugs appeared in the collectors market.

Probably sourced in Afghanistan, they raised a lot of questions as they were not woven but consisted of various fur pieces sewn together.¹ Moreover some parts were dyed in the way Uzbeks and Arabs from Afghanistan dye their polychromatic julkhyrs and some other trappings.  Another curious and unusual feature were the presence of threads sewn all along the back of the rug and a horn motif was even visible in the corners of some rugs.

Their precise and definitive origin has never been clearly identified but it is highly probable they were used by Kirghiz populations inhabiting the Wakhan corridor in Afghanistan. The widespread use of fur among the Kirghiz population and the presence of the little horns seems to indicate this.

They are difficult to date but the presence of synthetic colours among the embroidered threads prove they can not be older than the last quarter of the 19th century.  Synthetic dyes were already widespread among Kirghiz weavers in the 19th century. Some Kirghiz rugs collected in the Wakhan corridor by Russian expeditions in the 1880’s were already dyed with the poor fugitive red dye for which Kirghiz rugs and trapping are famous.

The Kirghiz were already well known a few centuries ago in international fur trading.² They use furs as a blanket, of both sheep and camel origin, and they even produce warm and thick fur topcoats they call « Tôn ». Pictures taken by Sabrina and Roland Michaud in the Wakhan corridor in the 70’s show raw furs used as packaging for camels and covers on the back of horses.³

Dr Nazif Shaharani, author of The Kirghiz and Wakhi of Afghanistan, confirmed the use of such furs as rugs among the Kirghiz and Wakhi people in the Wakhan and Iktamish districts of the Afghan Badakhshan province and called them Postak. He did not however confirm the presence of fur dying processes among these populations and even raised a doubt about the genuine origin of the dyed pieces.⁴

Quilted undyed fur rugs with very similar rectangular designs are also used among Siberian Yakoutes tribes who are of Turkic origin and

historically fur counsumers, they are also traders like the Kirghiz people. ⁵

Postak, fur covers and blankets, are widespread in the Kabul market and they are allegedly used even in the Pashtun Southern provinces of Afghanistan. They are not quilted but simple pieces of fur. In Wardak Southern province, they are called by the simple word of pashmani (from « pashm », the Persian word for wool). In these areas both Pashtun villagers and semi-nomadic tribes (« Kutchis ») have furs but consider them too costly to be used as mats. ⁶ It is right that Durani Pashtun are mainly goat breeders and sheep skins are highly prizedamong them. They are used as covers during the night or even folded on the shoulders when seated in either the tent or the house.

Hence it is possible these quilted and dyed furs would have a twofold purpose and could be also used as shoulder covers which could explain the presence of decorative thread on the skin part. A similar practice has been noticed on a mummy found by scientists in Subeshi, not far from Turfan, and dated from the warring states period. ⁷

Otherwise use of quilted furs is not widespread in the world but one can also notice the similar use of quilted fur mats in Tchad and Mauritania where they are called Khlef, Khlief, Farou and Farouw. ⁸ And curiously the famous french artist and decorator Armand-Albert Rateau created a very similar collection of fur rugs for the company Lanvin Couture early in the 20th century. ⁹ At this time occidental artists and decorators often took inspiration among ethonological artifacts from colonies. It is possible Armand did the same.

To summarize one can say that use of furs is a common practise in Central Asia but such quilted furs with both embroideries and unusual dying processes are virtually unknown… They could be the result of a limited and creative attempt by a group of women from the same family. This would explain the limited number of existing pieces, about a dozen,  and the fact they appeared all at once in the market…

Thierry Girard

1 - J.Wertime, Hali 100, 1998 p.86

2 – R .B Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, : material for a history up to the Mongol conquest. Beirut 1972 p.p.209

3 -  Roland Michaud et Sabrina Michaud, Caravans to Tartary New York 1978

4 - Dr Nazif Shaharani, personal communication, 2009

5 – V.Gorbatcheva & M.Federona, L’art de Sibérie, Parkstone Press 2008p.191 & 226

6 - Rafiq Sharifi, personal communication, 2008

7 – J.P Mallory & V.Mair, The Tarim Mummies, London 2000 p.25, pl.VI

8 - http://www.quaibranly.fr, items N° 71.1938.48.1, 71.1957.82.117 & 71.1969.70.1

9 – F. Olivier-Vial & F.Rateau, Armand Albert Rateau, les éditions de l'amateur, Paris, 1992, p.127

Kurdish Tulu - Badani

Kurdish Rug

Primitive long piled rugs in Turkey and Iran include Geve, Siirt, Tulu and Gabbeh. These are broad terms with many regional derivatives in use. For example Hopan is a term used to describe a textile that is neither a carpet nor a Geve and is called a “Kilig” in Usak-Esme-Ahmetler village. 1 Categorising every colloquial variation would be an arduous task.

Beginning in the late 1960’s Prof. Dr. Neriman Görgünay studied textiles in Eastern Anatolia with a special interest in long piled textiles. In 2005 she published the book Pioneer of the Knotted Carpet, Geve / Tülü and SimilarTextiles.2 Shaggy pelt like rugs have been produced over a widespread area from Turkey to the Altai mountains and probably pre date the short piled knotted carpet. Görgünay illustrates an example where a 75 year old Kazakh woman from Turkistan was living in Agri in 1968 and still weaving Geve, she had learnt how to weave Geve in Turkistan when she was a teenager.3

Kurdish rug multiple wefts

In South Eastern Turkey bordering Iran Kurdish weavers produce a long rug called Badani, the pile is long unspun sheep’s wool. A few years ago I came across a small rug resembling the long Kurdish Badani’s. The small rug has long unspun sheep’s wool and up to thirty weft shots between rows of knots and could have been used with either side up. The ends are completed with slit woven tapestry. The rug was exported from Iran to Australia and at the time labeled “Bakhtiari”.

Rhombus Kurdish Rug

Görgünay describes the Kurdish Badani as “Geve,a textile resembling sheepskin with a hairy surface that can be referred to as imitation pelt. Known by regional names of Tulu, Tuluce, Hirsek and Gebe. In Yugoslavia-Kosova and Bulgaristan called Yanbolia and feathered.” 4

On page 86 of Oriental Carpets From the Tents, Cottages, and Workshops of Asia 5 Jon Thompson presents an image by photographer Nasrollah Kasraian. Two of Kasraian’s images shot in the early eighties, of Kurdish nomad women near Maku in North West Persia are frequently referenced in print and online. An almost identical small rug can be seen in the background of Kasraian’s images. The small Kurdish rug was probably woven in the 1970’s .

Kurdish Badani’s are woven in South Eastern Turkey and Maku is just across the border in Iran. Görgünay 6 illustrates an example from Bitlis just north of Siirt. Our rug is only 147 cm  x 84 cm (4’ 10” x 2’ 9”) unlike the long Kurdish rugs from Turkey. John Wertime 7 discussed the probability that Bakhtiyari nomads in the Zagros mountains did not weave heavy piled rugs because of the difficulties in making the long journey through the Zagros mountains, from yaylaq to qishlaq. Wertime also mentions that the Bakhtiyari's wove long piled Gabbeh like rugs. Hamid Sadeghi and Karin Hawkes 8 in Gabbehs: Stammesteppiche der Bergnomaden am Zagrosdescribe “blanket-like” rugs with “multiple groundwefts” the same as our rug. If you watched the documentary in the previous post you will understand why large Persian carpets would be impractical to carry through the Zagros mountains. In the second video if you look carefully you will see a small rug with long unspun pile (when the donkeys and horses are being unloaded). It becomes obvious that small rugs of this size fit neatly over the “saddle” covers on the donkeys.

Kurdish Rug multiple wefts

These small rugs were probably produced by both the Kurdish nomads in the Maku area and further south by the Bakhtiyari's traversing the Zagros mountains.

Back Kurdish rug

1 Prof. Dr. Görgünay, N. Pioneer of the Knotted Carpet, Geve / Tülü and SimilarTextiles Textiles.Izmir 2005 118

2 Prof. Dr. Neriman Görgünay. loc. cit.

3 Prof. Dr. Neriman Görgünay. loc. cit. 9

4 Prof. Dr. Neriman Görgünay. loc. cit. 117

5 Dr Thompson, J. Oriental Carpets From the Tents, Cottages, and Workshops of Asia New York 1993

6 Prof. Dr. Neriman Görgünay. loc. cit. 33, 34, 35

7 Wertime. J Oriental Rug Review December January 1992 from website T Cole  http://www.tcoletribalrugs.com/article14loriBaktiari.html

8 Sadighi, H. & Hawkes, K. Gabbehs. Stammesteppiche Der Bergnomaden AmZagros Berlin1991 (Primitive Rugs of the Zagros Mountain Nomads)

Kurdish rug North West Persia

Darya Uzbek Julkhirs

OXUS UZBEK JULKHIRS FRAGMENT Northern Afghanistan “Amu Darya.” This Julkhirs is different, the knots are visible on the back and the rug is one piece not several. Usually Julkhirs are warp faced and the knots are either completely or partially hidden by the warps.

Julkhirs were woven in narrow long strips usually comprising of three to five strips stitched together to form one piece. Technical constraints dictated the width of the strips, keeping an open shed was difficult for the Bearskin weavers. ¹

Some Julkihrs were woven as one – piece. Three Central Asian types exist and possibly more.

1. Nurata Turkmen Julkhirs  from the Nurata basin in Uzbekistan, these are early and good luck finding one, Moshkova found that they were almost non existent when she visited the Nurata basin Turkmen Uzbeks in 1944 and 1946. ² None that I have found fit Moshkova's description.

2. A second group which appear to be more recent and woven in Afghanistan by Kuchi Pashtun nomads – sometimes referred to as “Maldari”. Occasionally attributed to Uzbeks. They are large coarsely woven nomad rugs and will be the subject of an upcoming post.

3.  “Amu Darya” Julkihrs from the north of Afghanistan bordering Tajikastan. The subject of this post.

Geroge O’Bannon first brought “Darya” Uzbek one – piece rugs to our attention in his mongraph Kazakh and Uzbek Rugs from Afghanistan, O’Bannon presented two examples - and called them Kazakh rugs. ³ In the following decades these “Kazakhs” became more popular. In From Desert and Oasis O’Bannon tentatively referenced them as “Darya” Uzbek and published a further example.

On his blog http://www.oturn.net/rugs/uzbek-julkhyr.html Detlev Fischer published an example – I’ve include an image here. The knotting and colours are the same.

In appearance all of these rugs are shaggy with long pile and woven in one piece. They also differ in that they are all approximately 183 cm x 122 cm (6’ x 4’) and sometimes even a little wider – 183cm x 137cm (6’ x 4.5’).

This fragment is much narrower and fits the proportions of the longer “pieced” Julkhirs yet it was woven in one long continuous piece. The warps are of brown goat hair and wefts of dark brown wool. The weave balance is more precise than in the other examples. Similarities with other “Darya Uzbek” examples are the Kuchkorak or latch hook polygons and colours.

O’bannon describes “Darya Uzbek” Julkhirs as having Kuchkoraks which are “wider horizontally than vertically”. ⁴ Our rug has vertically longer Kuchkorak’s and is only 1040 mm (40.94”) wide, a standard width for three and four piece Julkhirs. Unfortunately our fragment has been cut into small sections and only one third of the rug remains. The original full length Julkhirs would have been approximately 289 cm (113”) x 104 cm (40.9”) wide this ratio precisely fits measurements of what was standard length for many Julkihrs. I’ve used an image of the fragment to recreate a montage of how the rug may have looked in original form.

Description:Proportions are that of normal Julkhirs made in strips, not like other “Darya” Uzbek Julkhirs which were wider and probably shorter. Abrashed Madder red field plus yellow, blue, indigo, undyed white and brown.

Original size approximately 104 cm (3.4’ ) x 289 cm (9’6”)

Current Size 104 cm (3.4’ ) x 145 cm (57”)

Each Kuchkorak approximately 208mm (8.1”) vertical x 203mm (7.9”) horizontal

Wefts: 4 shots brown wool

Warps: Goat Hair

Pile: Wool, symmetrically knotted no warp depression

I gratefully acknowledge the enthusiasm shared by others for these shaggy nomad rugs, many thanks to Milton Cater for answering my many questions and helping keep me focused and motivated.  "Darya Uzbek" fragment sourced for this project by Milton Cater http://www.orientalcarpets.com.au/

REFERENCES

1 Mallett. M Woven Structures A Guide To Oriental Rugs and Textile Analysis Christopher Publications Atlanta 2000. 58

2 Moshkova, V. G.  Carpets of the People of Central Asia (George O’Bannon,  Arizona Lithographers Tucson, Arizona, 1996) 112,120

3 O'Bannon G. Kazakh and Uzbek Rugs from Afghanistan. George W. O'Bannon. 1979 No 1 page 10 and No 2 page 11

4 O'Bannon G.From Desert and Oasis Arts of the People of Central Asia. Georgia Museum of Art University of Georgia. Exhibition Catalogue 1998 21 -22, 67