Tekke antique rug 2.10×1.48m

Description

Title: Tekke antique rug

Size: 2.10×1.48m / 6’11″x4’10″ Thickness: varies between 3-5mm

Origin: Turkestan

Technique: Hand-knotted

Material: Wool pile, with wool warps and wefts.

Colours and Design: This charming antique rug shows traditional colours of brown with black, cream and soft orange. It has a geometric pattern showing a repeating theme of 24 motifs known as guls. The single border on one end featuring a row of star motifs on a cream background is an interesting feature.

Condition/Age: This is a very old rug with all over heavy wear to the pile (please see images 5, 6, 7, 9, & 10). There is a small repair to one corner (refer to images 10 & 11). It is slightly irregular in shape – they often are when they get to this age!
The ends have been secured, side wrapping overcast, and it has been also cleaned. It dates from the early 1900s.

Additional Information:

The Tekke were the largest and most dominant of the Turkoman tribes. With the completion of the Central Asian Railway in 1888, the Tekke Rugs were the first Turkoman Rugs to be exported in large numbers.

Tekke Turkoman Rugs have a distinctive weave. They are made with hand-knotted wool pile formed by asymetrical knots tied onto ivory coloured wool warps. The weave structure is flat (a non-depressed construction).

The octagon-like emblem that repeats in the field of the rug is known as a “gul”. This means flower. Each tribe has it’s own gul – a tribal emblem. In the repeating pattern there is a main gul and a minor gul (in this rug this motif is known as the Tshemtshe gul). The main guls found in the Tekke rugs are nearly always joined up.

Traditionally the rugs (and other tribal weavings) were made for the weavers own nomadic use and they were also seen as assets to be sold-on in times of need.

This Antique Tekke Rug has a lovely fine, neat weave – a lovely piece. It is a great example of Tekke weaving.

The Oriental Rug Merchant, 11 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1UL, UK

01892 533080

enquiries@theorientalrugmerchant.co.uk