Arsary Rugs

Examples of Arsary Rugs & Carpets

Examples:

Country of Origin: Turkmenistan

Date of Origin: second half of the 19th Century

Use: Arsary germech

Size: 25 cm. x 100 cm.

Region: Central Asia

Structure: Asymmetric. Open to the left.

Comments On Condition: Good condition. There is damage to the kelim end.

Description: A rare Turkmen germech, probably woven by an Ersari tribe in the second half of the 19th. Century. Uncommon design. Colored with vegetable dyes.


Ersari/Arsary Camel Bag, circa 1900

Size: 6 ft. 3 in. x 3 ft. 6 in.

Country of Origin: West Turkestan

Description: The bag-face is too big to be considered a Chuval. Usually, these are called camel bags in the trade.Size: 6 ft. 3 in. x 3 ft. 6 in.

Country of Origin: West Turkestan

Description: The bag-face is too big to be considered a Chuval. Usually, these are called camel bags in the trade.

Size: 6 ft. 3 in. x 3 ft. 6 in.

Country of Origin: West Turkestan

Description: The bag-face is too big to be considered a Chuval. Usually, these are called camel bags in the trade.


Ersari/Arsary Chuval

Size: 3 ft. 5 in. x 5 ft.

Period: Third quarter 19th century

Country of Origin: Turkmenistan

Use: Arsary Chuval. This is at the large end of the spectrum but still what I would call a chuval.

Notes: Partial ends and sides; reselvaged. Small reweave one edge with a stain.


Arsary Salyr Turkmen Ensi, mid-19th century

Country of Origin: Turkmenistan

Size: 5 ft. 3 in. x 6 ft. 8 in.

Use: Arsary Torba.

Comments: This is a wonderful piece. It shows just how attractive an Arsary Ensi can be.

Notes: The colors are all vegetable dyes. They include a deep maroon red field, iridescent sky blue, green, yellow, apricot, white, and brown.

Description: The piece features a rare design. It’s in good condition and has great color.

In the upper and the lower panels’ three columns stand upright and terminate in kochanks. The four quadrants are filled with a single complex repeat of interlocked rams’ horns and the last repeat of each column terminates in kochanks exactly like the three central columns. A minor but important detail is that each central column floats completely free of any other motif.

It is rare to see a Turkoman weaver place a red directly next to a blue. The reason may be as simple as the fact the line quality and thus the weaving quality is negatively impacted by any inconsistence in their relationship. It is much easier to make a good straight line when you have a dark outlining color like black or dark brown separating the blue from the red. The white outer border comes all the way down to the elem framing the entire composition most effectively. The elem of this ensi like others of its type is small. This one is very small but also very interesting. It is a simple row of pentagonal shapes representing yurts. The nicest parts of this old ensi are the major border designs and the elaborate trumpeting elephant or so called curled leaf border system which frames the inner panels. This motif is elaborated with a simple red cross in the white areas representing the elephants head. The main border is archaic and very seldom seen.

It seems to represent two people sitting back to back on one axis and two people head to head in the opposite direction. These designs are seen in the negative spaces of each repeating design device or iconogram. The iridescent blue is just splendid to behold. It shines out from the rest of the rug like a sapphire catching the suns rays at just the right angle. The center design between the upper and lower halves of the ensi is rather small, well drawn, and completely typical. As I have already alluded this ensi is extremely well woven, rather dense and heavy as the wool is very high quality.

The rug has good pile but the center is somewhat low as this was the area walked upon. As many of you know one of my main specialty areas is the Turkoman ensi. I collected and sold some of the best examples in America including the Ersari Ensi now at the DeYoung Museum as one of the main displays from the George Heckshure collection, this piece was prominently published in Hali in the article they did on him.

The Ersari in the first half of the 19th century were composed of remnants from several tribes including a prominent portion of Salor. The Salor adopted the ersari style of weaving though they continued to weave with their knots open to the left. Sharp collectors like Kurt Munkacsi realized this long ago and already have built up significant collections of salor weavings done in ersari styles. These styles were not imposed but resulted from the effects of commerce. For instance the Mina Khani was very popular and the Persian design was translated by these tribal people into an ever so pleasing arrangement.

The Turkoman design of early examples still clearly shows Turkoman motifs everywhere you look. Examples of this are the chemche form or the Turkoman star, among many other easily recognizable motifs.


Ersari/Arsary Beshir Prayer Rug, Central Asia Middle Amu Darya Region, 19th century

Country of Origin: Turkmenistan

Date of Origin 19th century

Size: 4 ft. 1 in.x 6 ft. 4 in.

Use: Prayer Rug

Description: Beshir-style prayer rugs are some of the most prestigious and highly collectible pile weavings to emerge from Central Asia. Typically patterned with the “heads and shoulders” motif in the mihrab, this example is distinguished by spacious drawing contrasted against the desirable white field background.

The secondary and tertiary element which float in the field as well as adorn the interiors of the primary motifs are quite attractive and contribute to an overall effect, a composition of tribal elements which is rarely seen in these usually very formal weaving which results in a somewhat sterile appearance.

Colors: All natural dyes

Condition: Good condition, slight repairs at the ends, no holes, no stains.


Ersari/Arsary Chyrpy

Country of Origin: Turkmenistan

Date of Origin: Third quarter 19th century

Use: Arsary Chuval. This is at the large end of the spectrum, but still what I would call a chuval.


Arsary/Ersari Namazlyk prayer rug, late 19th century

Country of Origin: Turkmenistan

Size: 6 ft. 4 in. x 3 ft. 7 in.

Description: Ersari Prayer Rug, West Turkestan, late 19th century.

Notes: An end is fraying, there’s a rewoven area, and there’s slight moth damage.


Ersari/Arsary Mina Khani Carpet


Origin: Middle Amu Darya Region Uzbekistan, Central Asia

Date: 19th Century