TEKKE CARPET

floor covering woven by the nomadic Tekke Turkmens of Turkmenistan. Tekkes are the carpets that were formerly sold as Royal Bokharas and are generally considered the finest of Turkmen carpets. The standard field pattern for the large rugs is a repeat in rows of a parti-coloured, multifoiled lozenge, a basic motif that serves as the symbol, or gul, of the Tekke tribe. The guls, which may be connected by the dark blue lines of a rectangular grid, are alternated with rows of a subordinate radial figure that usually is somewhat stellate. In smaller pieces, such as the faces of bags, or jovals, the gul may be flattened and appear within a system of rectangular panels. Borders are intricate and may differ at the ends. Many of the carpets had elaborate aprons in pile and, later, in kilim (pileless) weave, with rectangular patterning or rows of delicate plant forms. The basic colour throughout is red, in a great variety of shades from scarlets through wine reds to liver colours, the brightest appearing in new rugs from Pakistan. The knotting, normally Senna (Sehna), is usually fine, and the material, whether wool or goat hair, is of excellent quality. The pile is short, so the rug is thin and flexible.