Baluch Bedding Cover
1880-1900 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Hand-woven very light weight cover decorated with patterned bands. This cover would have been placed across the front of a pile of bedding, so the design would have been read at right angles to the way it was woven.
Along the left hand side is a decorative vertical border woven in white; a row of diamonds have been woven in outline only; each contains a white X-motif. To either side is a narrower border of small diamonds terminating in a white dot. To the inside of this border is an irregular row of white diamonds from which short white lines extend. There are also six and a half pairs of elongated leafed sprigs reaching into the middle of the cover from this side border. These are accompanied by more 'fringed' diamonds. All these motifs were woven as the same time as the other decorative bands and would have appeared as vertical sprigs when the cover was in use.
Bands from the lower end;
(1) blue ground with small dark red diamonds bracketted by light red lines.
(2) dark red.
(3) green.
(4) dark red zigzag outlining lower edge of white band.
(5) dark brown.
(6) purple ground with a row of dark red crosses within 2 green zigzagged lines. White triangles outline the zigzags and the crosses.
(7) as (4)
(8) as (3)
(9) as (2)
(10) as (1)
(11) purple.
(12) green.
(13) dark red.
(14) dark blue.
(15) dark red and dark brown reciprocal trefoils.
(16) broad band of purple.
(17) green ground with dark red rectangles surrounded by pink triangles forming octagons.
(18) as (16)
(19) as (15)
(20) as (14)
(21) as (13)
(22) as (12)
(23) dark red ground with stepped crosses in dark red and green outlined in white.
(24) narrow green band.
(25) narrow dark red band.
(26) broad dark blue band with a row of adjoining dark red triangles each containing a vertical stripe. Each is outlined in dark red and white with a pair of horns at the top and bottom.
(27) as (25)
(28) as (24)
(29) as (23)
(30) as (12)
(31) dark brown.
(32) as (14)
(33) as (15)
(34) as (16)
(35) as (17)
(36) as (16)
(37) as (15)
(38) as (14)
(39) as (11)
(40) green ground with a row of rectangles, each made of two joined outlined diamonds with a dark red cross in the centre. The light red outline continues to form 2 dark red blocks on either side of the diamonds - thus completing the rectangle.
(41) broad dark red with a row of 4 triangles pointing towards their common centre, forming a Maltese cross. The triangles are dark red outlined in green and white and they are separated by vertical stripes consisting of 4 similarly coloured diamonds.
these bands rpeat with slight colours variations and varuations in their order.
Technique: Flatweave; weft faced plainweave with weft float patterning.
WARP: light brown wool often spun with some darker brown wool; Z2S; 11 threads per inch (42 per dm)
WEFT: dark red, light red, green, dark blue, dark brown, purple, pink, white (8 colours); Z-spun, unplied, 2 parallel threads per shoot; 32 threads per inch (130 per dm)
SIDES AND ENDS: Cut.
Along the left hand side is a decorative vertical border woven in white; a row of diamonds have been woven in outline only; each contains a white X-motif. To either side is a narrower border of small diamonds terminating in a white dot. To the inside of this border is an irregular row of white diamonds from which short white lines extend. There are also six and a half pairs of elongated leafed sprigs reaching into the middle of the cover from this side border. These are accompanied by more 'fringed' diamonds. All these motifs were woven as the same time as the other decorative bands and would have appeared as vertical sprigs when the cover was in use.
Bands from the lower end;
(1) blue ground with small dark red diamonds bracketted by light red lines.
(2) dark red.
(3) green.
(4) dark red zigzag outlining lower edge of white band.
(5) dark brown.
(6) purple ground with a row of dark red crosses within 2 green zigzagged lines. White triangles outline the zigzags and the crosses.
(7) as (4)
(8) as (3)
(9) as (2)
(10) as (1)
(11) purple.
(12) green.
(13) dark red.
(14) dark blue.
(15) dark red and dark brown reciprocal trefoils.
(16) broad band of purple.
(17) green ground with dark red rectangles surrounded by pink triangles forming octagons.
(18) as (16)
(19) as (15)
(20) as (14)
(21) as (13)
(22) as (12)
(23) dark red ground with stepped crosses in dark red and green outlined in white.
(24) narrow green band.
(25) narrow dark red band.
(26) broad dark blue band with a row of adjoining dark red triangles each containing a vertical stripe. Each is outlined in dark red and white with a pair of horns at the top and bottom.
(27) as (25)
(28) as (24)
(29) as (23)
(30) as (12)
(31) dark brown.
(32) as (14)
(33) as (15)
(34) as (16)
(35) as (17)
(36) as (16)
(37) as (15)
(38) as (14)
(39) as (11)
(40) green ground with a row of rectangles, each made of two joined outlined diamonds with a dark red cross in the centre. The light red outline continues to form 2 dark red blocks on either side of the diamonds - thus completing the rectangle.
(41) broad dark red with a row of 4 triangles pointing towards their common centre, forming a Maltese cross. The triangles are dark red outlined in green and white and they are separated by vertical stripes consisting of 4 similarly coloured diamonds.
these bands rpeat with slight colours variations and varuations in their order.
Technique: Flatweave; weft faced plainweave with weft float patterning.
WARP: light brown wool often spun with some darker brown wool; Z2S; 11 threads per inch (42 per dm)
WEFT: dark red, light red, green, dark blue, dark brown, purple, pink, white (8 colours); Z-spun, unplied, 2 parallel threads per shoot; 32 threads per inch (130 per dm)
SIDES AND ENDS: Cut.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Woollen weft-faced plainweave with weft float patterning |
Brief description | wool, 1880-1900, Baluch |
Physical description | Hand-woven very light weight cover decorated with patterned bands. This cover would have been placed across the front of a pile of bedding, so the design would have been read at right angles to the way it was woven. Along the left hand side is a decorative vertical border woven in white; a row of diamonds have been woven in outline only; each contains a white X-motif. To either side is a narrower border of small diamonds terminating in a white dot. To the inside of this border is an irregular row of white diamonds from which short white lines extend. There are also six and a half pairs of elongated leafed sprigs reaching into the middle of the cover from this side border. These are accompanied by more 'fringed' diamonds. All these motifs were woven as the same time as the other decorative bands and would have appeared as vertical sprigs when the cover was in use. Bands from the lower end; (1) blue ground with small dark red diamonds bracketted by light red lines. (2) dark red. (3) green. (4) dark red zigzag outlining lower edge of white band. (5) dark brown. (6) purple ground with a row of dark red crosses within 2 green zigzagged lines. White triangles outline the zigzags and the crosses. (7) as (4) (8) as (3) (9) as (2) (10) as (1) (11) purple. (12) green. (13) dark red. (14) dark blue. (15) dark red and dark brown reciprocal trefoils. (16) broad band of purple. (17) green ground with dark red rectangles surrounded by pink triangles forming octagons. (18) as (16) (19) as (15) (20) as (14) (21) as (13) (22) as (12) (23) dark red ground with stepped crosses in dark red and green outlined in white. (24) narrow green band. (25) narrow dark red band. (26) broad dark blue band with a row of adjoining dark red triangles each containing a vertical stripe. Each is outlined in dark red and white with a pair of horns at the top and bottom. (27) as (25) (28) as (24) (29) as (23) (30) as (12) (31) dark brown. (32) as (14) (33) as (15) (34) as (16) (35) as (17) (36) as (16) (37) as (15) (38) as (14) (39) as (11) (40) green ground with a row of rectangles, each made of two joined outlined diamonds with a dark red cross in the centre. The light red outline continues to form 2 dark red blocks on either side of the diamonds - thus completing the rectangle. (41) broad dark red with a row of 4 triangles pointing towards their common centre, forming a Maltese cross. The triangles are dark red outlined in green and white and they are separated by vertical stripes consisting of 4 similarly coloured diamonds. these bands rpeat with slight colours variations and varuations in their order. Technique: Flatweave; weft faced plainweave with weft float patterning. WARP: light brown wool often spun with some darker brown wool; Z2S; 11 threads per inch (42 per dm) WEFT: dark red, light red, green, dark blue, dark brown, purple, pink, white (8 colours); Z-spun, unplied, 2 parallel threads per shoot; 32 threads per inch (130 per dm) SIDES AND ENDS: Cut. |
Dimensions |
|
Production type | Unique |
Credit line | Given by Mr. Clive Rogers |
Production | This carpet was woven by the Baluchis, a nomadic people occupying an area bounded by Bandar Abbas and Bam in the west, the Punjab and the Kirthar range of mountains in the east, the Arabian Sea to the south and the areas of the Afghan province Chakhansur (Nimroz) and the Iranian province of Seistan. This cover is thought to have been woven in Seistan. |
Collection | |
Accession number | T.599-1999 |
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Record created | January 24, 2000 |
Record URL |
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