Antique Tekke | 121 x 111 cm | Nr. Z-3097

Geometric antique Tekke, rust red with diamonds and border

Origin	Turkmenistan
Dimensions	121 cm x 111 cm (= 1.3431 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: wool
knots per m²2	480.000
Pile height	5mm
Year of manufacture	1920
Colour	Rust red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The Tekke are the main tribe of the Turkmen. They live in the Republic of Turkmenistan and in Afghanistan. In earlier times the Tekke were nomads and much given to raiding. Today most of them are settled and live peacefully as farmers. After the break-up of the Soviet empire, however, some returned to a nomadic way of life. The majority of the Tekke live in the now independent Republic of Turkmenistan, where they knot rugs in the cities of Ashgabat and Mary and the surrounding areas.

During the communist revolution, numerous Tekke clans moved to the neighbouring states of Afghanistan and Iran. Others settled in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Tekke rugs are among the famous Turkmen rugs, whose patterns are also copied in Pakistan. Tekke rugs are also traded as Buchara rugs. Buchara (sometimes also written Bochara) is an oasis town in Uzbekistan on the former Silk Road. Although no rugs were ever knotted in Buchara itself, the town gave its name to many Oriental rugs because they were traditionally exported to the West from there. The rugs themselves were knotted by Turkmen tribes such as the Yomoudh or the Tekke. This antique Tekke is a collector's piece. It is around 100 years old, and for that reason alone a truly special piece. Antique rugs like this Tekke are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Pattern

The abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Tekke its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the design of the room and never draws attention away from the furniture, the décor and the architectural elements. It creates a pleasant atmosphere without dominating the style of the room.

In the pattern of this Tekke it is above all the diamonds that catch the eye. A diamond is a rhombus standing on one of its points; in Oriental rugs its four equal sides can be serrated, stepped or set with hooks. The diamond is one of the oldest basic forms in the Oriental rug. In the Islamic world it carries a symbolic meaning: it represents the immortality of the soul. That is why it is so often found as a filler motif.

The edge of the rug is graced by a surround (border). The border forms a wonderful contrast to the centre.

The background of this Tekke is rust red. The border is worked in rust red, golden beige and black.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Tekke. It had owners before you who treasured it and put it to use. The pile is worn in places. It was hand-knotted around 1920. We cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. That is why it is – despite its age – in very good condition.

Material

The technique used to make the materials for the pile of this Tekke is over 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural colours and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant-based colours is more complicated, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical dyes. For a luminous red, for example, you need around one kilo of ground madder root as dyestuff per kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale, you even need two kilograms of the dyestuff weld per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is time-consuming and labour-intensive too. On top of that, fewer and fewer people still master spinning wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyeing with natural colours lets the high-quality wool keep its natural lanolin content. Wool that has been dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shimmering patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, unfolds as a contrast in modern interiors, but just as well in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style. The foundation (weft and warp threads) of this Tekke is made of new wool.