Saddle Bag thumbnail 1
Saddle Bag thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Saddle Bag

19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Pair of saddlebags (sometimes known as khurjin)

WARP: white wool; Z2S; 23 threads per inch (91 per dm).

WEFT: probably light brown hair; cannot ascertain but probably Z spun unplied with, probably, 2 parallel threads per shoot and at least 2 shoots after each row of knots; 17 knots per inch (71 per dm).

PILE: wool; 8 colours: dark red, light red, orange, yellow, dark blue, dark brown, black, white; asymmetrical knot open to the right and tied around 2 warp threads; 196 knots per sq. inch (3231 per sq. dm).

SIDE FINISH: both sides have 2 cords overcast with dark pink wool. A brown plaited wool and hair cord has been added to the sides and this stitching has joined the sides to form the bag; the cord extends down both sides and terminates at all 4 corners in a tassel of 9 to 12 sections, each bound with coloured wool into a band.

END FINISH: Lower: 3 cms. plain weave, half with white woollen weft, the rest in a band of dark blue and then dark red, turned and stitched in place. A plaited cord of hair has been sewn on in loops to form a closure. Upper 4 cms. plain weave with white woollen weft then, probably, as lower end. NB. Bags stitched down by Conservation.

DESIGN: Bag face: there are slight variations in the number of motifs in each face. Field: composed of central rectangle quartered in dark blue and dark red and containing a diamond framing a quartered gul.

Borders: (working outwards):
(1) dark red ground with light red and dark blue connected motifs.
(2), (4) and (6): black and dark blue triangles create arches on the white ground on which are dark or light red five-sided blocks.
(3): light red ground with floral sprigs and flowerheads.
(5) as (1)
(7) light red triangles above which is a black, horned zigzag

Above and below these borders is a band of multicoloured chevrons; towards the bottom of each bag is a wide band of six stepped and horned diamonds, white alternating with blue; then another band of multicoloured chevrons; a final narrow border with a white ground and coloured geometric motifs.

Back: plain weave with white wool and very occasionally a red wool weft only partially across width.

Central panel:

a) Pile: field: two elongated versions of the central panel found in both bag faces; bordered by borders (2) and (7) and by multicoloured band of chevrons.
(b) to either side of the pile panel is a band of plain weave in dark red and dark blue and then loops of hair cord for fastening; a plaited selvedge in goat's hair extends the central panel by 1 cm. on both sides and the long side cord is attached to this selvedge.

Date catalogued: 18.1.95


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wool and hair
Brief description
Saddle bag, 19th century, Central Asia
Physical description
Pair of saddlebags (sometimes known as khurjin)

WARP: white wool; Z2S; 23 threads per inch (91 per dm).

WEFT: probably light brown hair; cannot ascertain but probably Z spun unplied with, probably, 2 parallel threads per shoot and at least 2 shoots after each row of knots; 17 knots per inch (71 per dm).

PILE: wool; 8 colours: dark red, light red, orange, yellow, dark blue, dark brown, black, white; asymmetrical knot open to the right and tied around 2 warp threads; 196 knots per sq. inch (3231 per sq. dm).

SIDE FINISH: both sides have 2 cords overcast with dark pink wool. A brown plaited wool and hair cord has been added to the sides and this stitching has joined the sides to form the bag; the cord extends down both sides and terminates at all 4 corners in a tassel of 9 to 12 sections, each bound with coloured wool into a band.

END FINISH: Lower: 3 cms. plain weave, half with white woollen weft, the rest in a band of dark blue and then dark red, turned and stitched in place. A plaited cord of hair has been sewn on in loops to form a closure. Upper 4 cms. plain weave with white woollen weft then, probably, as lower end. NB. Bags stitched down by Conservation.

DESIGN: Bag face: there are slight variations in the number of motifs in each face. Field: composed of central rectangle quartered in dark blue and dark red and containing a diamond framing a quartered gul.

Borders: (working outwards):
(1) dark red ground with light red and dark blue connected motifs.
(2), (4) and (6): black and dark blue triangles create arches on the white ground on which are dark or light red five-sided blocks.
(3): light red ground with floral sprigs and flowerheads.
(5) as (1)
(7) light red triangles above which is a black, horned zigzag

Above and below these borders is a band of multicoloured chevrons; towards the bottom of each bag is a wide band of six stepped and horned diamonds, white alternating with blue; then another band of multicoloured chevrons; a final narrow border with a white ground and coloured geometric motifs.

Back: plain weave with white wool and very occasionally a red wool weft only partially across width.

Central panel:

a) Pile: field: two elongated versions of the central panel found in both bag faces; bordered by borders (2) and (7) and by multicoloured band of chevrons.
(b) to either side of the pile panel is a band of plain weave in dark red and dark blue and then loops of hair cord for fastening; a plaited selvedge in goat's hair extends the central panel by 1 cm. on both sides and the long side cord is attached to this selvedge.

Date catalogued: 18.1.95
Dimensions
  • Face length (1) length: 40cm
  • Face length (2) length: 35.5cm
  • Face minimum width: 48cm
  • Face minimum width: 45cm
  • Central panel max length: 10cm
  • Central panel max width: 48cm
  • Total length length: 95.5cm
Production
Mentioned in "Turkoman Rugs in the V & A", by M. Franses and R. Pinner (intro. by Donald King). Analysis by L. Pinner. Hali 1980, Vol. 2, No. 4, p. 303, 306, 315

no c.f found except for Tzareva (1984) illus. 129 "Karakalpak, Khorjin, late 19th/early 20th century"".

RP info:
"Pair of Afghan saddlebags" ['Afgan crossed out and replaced by "Tekke, Turcoman, Knotted pile, 19th century"]
Collection
Accession number
T.160-1928

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Record createdSeptember 18, 2008
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