Antique Tekke | 205 x 154 cm | Nr. Z-4180

Geometric antique Tekke, rust red

Origin	Turkmenistan
Dimensions	205 cm x 154 cm (= 3.157 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: wool
knots per m²2	240.000
Pile height	4mm
Year of manufacture	1890
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 130 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 fits beautifully into any setting and complements the furnishings of a room in a subtle way.

The colour of this Tekke is rust red.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Tekke. It has had owners before you who treasured and used it. It was hand-knotted around 1890. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. The fringes could do with a repair. The edges are damaged in places. The pile is worn in places. On one side, parts of the border are missing. We have not restored this Tekke because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course be happy to restore the rug for you. Either way, this Tekke will bring you pleasure for decades to come.

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.