Title:

Karakalpak Karshin (Karchin) Face
Size:

13” x 40”
Circa:
 1880
Cat. #:
342
Description:

The use of the tai tuyak (foal’s feet) gol on Karakalpak karshins is classic. 

The dark brown ground with an assertive red and placid white is also traditional.

Sixteen of these gols are displayed on a vertical axis.  Each gol is very precisely outlined in black.  As an accent color, there is also a judicious use of a strong, deeply saturated ‘steel’ blue.

The gols are separated vertically by connected diamond forms and horizontally by ‘arms’ extending from these forms. 

Quincunx in alternating shades of red and white frame the composition.

At one point, the weaver or weavers used reciprocal hooked devices along the outer edges of the piece.

At some point, the hooked devices were abandoned for the quincunx.

Condition:  There is pile loss at both ends.  The ends have been stabilized to prevent further loss.  There are several areas along the sides where reasonably good quality repairs have been made.  There are several areas of slight wear, again along the sides of the weaving.  Otherwise, the pile is in good condition. 

Structure:
Warps:

Goat or camel hair, natural dark brown.  Each strand is extremely fine.  There is no warp displacement.
 
Wefts:

Wool, natural dark brown.  There is one weft between each row of knots.
 
Knots:

Symmetrical
 
Sides:

Multiple warps are bundled into two cord selvedges.  The sides have been re-wrapped in primarily red wool.  There are small portions in brown.  The sides are now in good but not perfect condition.
 
Ends:

The ends are reduced with loss of the original end structures.
 
Handle:

Moderately firm with soft pile wool.
Price:
$575
Comment:

The Karakalpak live in areas at the southern end of the Ariel Sea and north of Khiva.  Some are in the Fargama Valley and neighboring areas of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

They are believed to represent an ancient, indigenous Farsi speaking people who, over the centuries, have intermingled with various Turkic speaking peoples.
Literature:

Rugs and Carpets from Central Asia, translated from Russian by Arthur Shkarovaky-Raffe, at pages 182 – 183, plates 127 – 128 and page 186, plate 131.

V. G. Moshkova, Carpets of the People of Central Asia, at page 103, plate 42.

Oriental Rug Review, Volume # 124, The Karakalpak Rug Collection of the Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow, at pages 16 – 22.