Ersari tent main carpet
middle Amu Daria, Turkmenistan
circa 1900
Size: 300 x 212 cm
The Ersari were one of eight or so different tribes of the Turkmen people in Central Asia.
The principal motif in most Turkoman artefacts is the ‘gul’, an octagonal medallion repeated in a grid across the field of the rug together with an intervening minor element of design as seen here.
Tent main carpets were the most important artefact in the yurt.
While not the earliest example of a Ersari weaving, this carpet has excellent quality lustrous wool and a range of natural dyes.
