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Images relating to the Turkmen people, found in the course of my research for a YA novel set in 19th C Central Asia.
The Akhal-Teke horse from Turkmenistan is an ancient breed known for the metallic luster of its coat. The Turks regard them as a national treasure, prized for their endurance and performance. There are only approximately 3,500 left in the world.
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A Yomud woman at work, weaving within the confines of the yurt in which she lives. Note the flat woven chuvals suspended by ropes to the interior lattice of the yurt, situated just behind her. - TC
A well known photograph of a Tekke weaving shed showing work underway appears in Felkersam (1914), but in fact the picture was taken in 1896 or 1898 - RW
A Turkmen woman spinning wool, Central Asia. Photograph by SM Dudin, circa 1902
Traditional dress for the women of the Central Asian region, including nomadic Turkmen women, consists of a calf-to-ankle length dress (kurta), trousers and coat (khalat), all cut straight and wide. Neither the dress nor the coat have collars and the women generally cover their heads with cap and scarf. Although this Turkmen woman's dress is modern and has been made using a sewing machine, the colours and pattern are the traditional Turkmen favourites - dark red with a bright yellow stripe and white and black accents. The front of Turkmen dresses are typically heavily decorated, sometimes with embroidery - as in this example - and sometimes with applied metallic ornaments. On this dress, machine embroidery encircles the round neck and extends on either side of the front neck slit almost to the waist. The motifs include a row of small yellow and white diamonds around the neck opening, below which is a vertical row of five birth symbol motifs. Encircling these is a border of stylised machine-embroidered tree-of-life motifs, symbolic of fertility and often found in Turkmen embroidery. The material used to make the dress is a narrow (310mm wide) plain weave silk, which was probably locally woven.
"The wedding caravan which brought a rich bride from her parental home to her new life was always fitted out with numerous brightly woven decorations. The camel's neck were decked with woven collars; the leading camel was also adorned with a five-cornered rugs, the osmolduk (asmalyk), decorated with richly luxuriant tassels. " - Moshkova (Photo by William Irons)
This heart-shaped hair ornament, or asik, accompanied a woman's transition from childhood into married life. The asik is attached to a woman's plaits and extends to her back. Heart-shaped hair ornaments are common in Turkmen jewelry, but this example stands out with the sophistication of its chased open-leaf and double-leaf motifs, the intricate gilding and engraving, and the lavish use of cabochon stones and carnelians. A cylindrical bozbend, or tube, at the top is meant to hold Muslim prayer scrolls. Above it, a triangular mountain symbol with three horn motifs attached to it connects the wearer to her ancestors.
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Turkmen women wear a variety of different headdresses called sinsile. This piece, an example of the type worn by young girls every day until they are married, is remarkable for its opulence. It is a crown richly embellished with 377 turquoise beads and 33 table-cut carnelians. Thirteen pendants in teardrop form suspended from chains hang from the bottom section of the crown. The upper section is decorated with three half moons, a symbol of the rise and decline of human life.
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Turkmenistan's sparsely inhabited deserts contain hidden gems of Islamic architecture.
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In Kyrgyzstan, not Turkmenistan, a shepherd and his grandchildren on an alpine plateau.
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The sixth-century Kiz Kala fortress is one of the well-preserved remains of ancient Merv, once a major city on the Silk Road. Located on the southern edge of Turkmenistan's Karakum desert, Merv became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.
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A Turkmen child at play, learning to weave on her toy loom. Thompson, Jon. Carpet Magic: The art of carpets from the tents, cottages and workshops of Asia. UK: Barbican Art Gallery, 1983, 50.
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Turkmen girls weaving a traditional tribal carpet on a horizontal loom. After making the knot they cut the tufts of the pile with a curved knife. Thompson, Jon. Carpet Magic: The art of carpets from the tents, cottages and workshops of Asia. UK: Barbican Art Gallery, 1983, 57.
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antique yomut bokche (made initially to carry a large loaf of bread in connection with a wedding ceremony)
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