MAFRASH TEKKE
Origin Turkmenistan
Late 19th century period
The Mafrash was a small bag for personal effects that was tied to the hips of the camel during long migrations. During sedentary periods, the Mafrash was hung on the inside walls of the Yurt, a type of round wooden half-timbered accommodation suitable for nomadism. This storage bag, or peat, was woven by a woman of the Turkmen Tekke tribe in Turkmenistan in the late 1800s. Notable design features are its four compartments each containing 2 aina gul tekke and its ten edges showing a wide range of motifs.
Turkmen women used the wool from their flocks of sheep and goats to weave rugs, bags and headbands to furnish and decorate their tents, as well as colorful ornaments for their precious horses and camels. Most Turkmen weaves are a lush pile texture, most commonly with symmetrical knots although asymmetrical knots are sometimes used as well.
The rich and varied reds that characterize Turkmen carpets and ornaments generally were easily obtained from local madder plants.