In many classical period Turcoman weavings important symbolic complexes, mainly gulls and border designs were paired. In classical Turcoman quatrefoil designs one might see a diagonal design pair rendered as white/positives and the other diagonal as red/positives. In some classical Turcoman weavings the red is replaced with a rich royal purple. Regarding any pair of associated red/purple and white symbolic Turcoman designs, one finds they are often 'meaningful' regardless of the viewer's perspective; ‘right side up’, ‘up side down’ or from either side.
I believe the Turcoman associated white with purity, spirituality, and the past and or the future. They associated red and purple respectively with arterial and venous blood, flesh, and the immediate present or visceral anatomy. The classical period extends from the 13th century AD, if not earlier, to about 1757 AD. That was the date of the second and final defeat of the classical Turcoman horde, led by the Salor and Tekke confederation, by the Yomud, who had begun to appear in large numbers beginning early in the 18th century.
It is widely thought that the semi-settled Kungrat, Durmen, and Lakai people were all descended from medieval Turcoman tribes. In fact their oral history makes definitive mention of this fact. That being said I approach embroideries from these three semi-settled tribes looking for figure ground relationships just as I do for medieval Turcoman designs.
A new book on this subject, UZBEK EMBROIDERY IN THE NOMADIC TRADITION, was recently published and is a very rich source for the study of this under-appreciated textile tradition.
The second set of images below is from this aforementioned book and is labeled a Kungrat Ilgich from the 19th century. The three designs in its’ center are described as “elaborate spider-like patterns.” In point of fact each of the three central medallions has eight primary appendages just as spiders have eight legs. This illustration plus a similar item in my own collection are the only two pieces of this type that I know of. Possibly seeing some more examples is a prime reason for writing this short article.
Looking at these two early ilgiches from the red positive perspective I perceive the heads of rams. In some cases the rams are butting heads and in other contexts they seem to be reclining. I think this negative space red positive patterning is absolutely indicative of the oldest examples of this art form. The image of a rams head is quite reasonable for a sheep herder’s talisman that was meant to protect his house and ensure his wives’ fertility. Such items, as these two ilgiches, were hung up as talisman inside of one’s dwelling.
Certainly the visual appreciation for these two items extends into the colorful embroidered forms and designs. Andy Hale’s association of the embroidered forms with spiders makes a lot of sense. Camel spiders could actually kill a camel and were something greatly to be feared. By juxtaposing the embroidered images of large spiders, like the camel spider, with a red positive field design indicating rams heads the native nomad might have been trying to magically protect his sheep and camels from the spiders by his rams killing them. I submit this interpretation because in every classical Turcoman iconography that I’ve studied the red and white positive intercalated designs have enacted a dialog.
The associated design complexes of classical Turcoman iconographies are like the two sides of a coin: just like the figure ground inter-related designs of the two really old central Asian embroideries pictured below. The final picture is of a red ground ram close up.
Thanks and best wishes, J. Barry O'Connell Jr. |
