Hello Bart.

Again this is something i would not call a tribal rug. It looks like a 1950-60 north-west Persian made workshop runner for the export.

Chris

It has a traditional motif --- but was likely made specifically for export.

For me "tribal" means it was originally produced for personal use - usually on a home-based loom --- typically over a long period of time.

In that context, "tribal" usually has a practical/functional use --- rather than eye-candy.


That said - I like your runner.

There may be some truth to this, but it seems to be an oversimplifying and romanticizing way of describing tribal rugs (or tribal artefacts of any kind).

First of all, for something to be tribal, it has to be made by a member or members of a tribe. What exactly counts as a tribe is vague and controversial, but rugs produced by people hired in a city-workshop, or by village members of various ethnic backgrounds would not count.

There are many so-called Village rugs, which technically don't qualify as tribal rugs, which were made for personal, as opposed to commercial, use, and which are very desirable to collectors.

Second, the idea of a wonderful pretty home embellished by the handy-work of wives and daughters seems very much a Western idea.

(a) In most tribal communities, the making of a tribal rug involves most members of the communities, be it to shear the sheep, card and spin the wool, make the dye, dye the wool, build the looms, weave the rug, wash and shear the rug. And even the weaving is not always done by women. Most Tekke rugs, for example, were woven by men.

(b) Many of the knotted and woven tribal artefacts have a purpose that goes way beyond embellishment: Tribal tent bags, tent doors, sleeping rugs, sleeping pillows, small bags, all are items of use. Without them, ordinary tribal life wouldn't be possible.

So how about something like a tribal weaving is a weaving produced by the members of a tribe for their own, or in any case not commercial, use.

At first, I was to agree to Chris, looks a lot like north western persia, often these rugs are sold ind the Bazaar under the collecting name Musel. But looking at the pictures longer, I have a different feeling Could you post a detail picture that shows the knots, the selvedge and the fringes? Then I am sure I can tell you what it is.

I'm not convinced Turgay Tuna is an expert on Turkish rugs, I'd need to see some evidence.
I found your quote on the website of a Turkish hotel, trying to attract customers.

But putting this aside, even so-called rug-experts often romanticise and express their wishful dreams rather than reality, early 20th century rug publications are full of them. But back to Tuna. Take the last sentence of your quote:

"Perhaps she thereby expresses her desire for the happiness of her village, her family and her own married life".

Perhaps she's just been told that one item in her trusseau has to look like those Yahyali rugs with a village border, and it's either weaving one or not getting married. Perhaps she is thinking about the colour television and the new washing-machine she'll have when married, or she's memorizing the English songs she's hearing on her ipod while weaving, and not expressing any desire at all? I hate to poke those pink romantic bubbles of naive, happy world tribal life (or come to think of it, I quite enjoy it).

Anyhow, I liked your village border rug, and personally wouldn't care what the weaver was trying to express, if anything, while weaving it, just enjoy the rug and the obvious expertise of the weaver manifested in it.

I agree on this. When I look at one of my rugs and discover new things on it (patterns I hadn't seen, choices of colour, irregularites, whatnot), or just enjoy the overall picture, I often can't help but thinking that the individual (or individuals) who wove it must have felt joy and pride about producing objects of such beauty, and about having the skill of doing so.

Looks to me like an heavy Azerbaidjan type. The selvages are not the use to see in Afshar rugs. The closeups simulate a relatively fine weaving and i agree with KAD it looks a bit like Sirjan...although the rug is rude as a Hamadan.

Chris was correct first time. Heriz type NW Iran Azerbadjan area.