TEKKE BOKHARA
Why So Named.—Because they are made by the Tekke Turkoman tribes of Nomads, one of the most numerous and powerful of the Turkoman tribes, who inhabit the country extending to Afghanistan on the south and Khorasan on the west.
Knot.—Senna. Number vertically eight to twenty-eight; number horizontally five to twenty-five; number to square inch forty to four hundred.
Warp.—Splendid wool.
Woof.—Wool, dyed red or brown.
Nap.—Splendid soft, velvety, closely clipped wool. Sometimes some goats' hair or silk.
Weave.—Renowned for its close texture.
Sides.—Overcast in wool which is dyed the predominating color of the rug. Occasionally selvaged.
Ends.—A web from ten to twelve inches in width at each end which is colored the same as the body of the rug. This is finished with a fringe of loose warp ends. Sometimes there are twisted ropes at one end, showing that it was intended for hanging. This is especially common in the prayer Tekke.
Border.—One to five border stripes, usually three.
TEKKE BOKHARA RUG
BY COURTESY NAHIGIAN BROS., CHICAGO, ILL.
Designs.—Elongated octagon forms arranged in rows alternating with rows of diamond forms with straight lines connecting the centres of the octagon, each of which is divided into four equal parts. In the centre of each octagon is frequently found the eight-pointed star. Sometimes the field is covered with octagon or the diamond forms alone without the alternate arrangement. In the prayer rug the field is covered with little candlestick patterns and divided into four sections by a large cross, the arms of which carry designs similar to those found in the border stripes.
Prevailing Colors.—Ground usually of a rich dark mahogany red with designs in blue, green, orange, old rose, wine, and pink, with more or less white or cream.
Dyes.—Usually good. Of late years some aniline has been used.
Prices.—The antiques are rather scarce and are of good value. From $2.00 to $5.00 per square foot.
Sizes.—Mats to carpet size. Two to eight by three to eighteen feet. The prayer rugs are nearly square, from four to four and one-half by five feet.
Remarks.—Their durability is phenomenal. The modern pieces are vastly inferior to the antiques. The prayer rugs differ so greatly from the others of their class that they might almost be arranged under a separate heading, in fact they are separately classed by some authorities under the name of Hardjli or Princess Bokhara. The Armenians call them Khatchlie Bokhara for the reason that the bands that divide the field into four sections form a cross, and the word "khatchlie" in the Armenian language means a cross. This class of rugs is growing rapidly scarce.
THE EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATED
Page [284]. This is the prayer Tekke, the so-called Hardjli, Khatchlie or Princess Bokhara. The Greek cross divides the field into quarters, each one of which is filled with rows of candle sticks. The niche, the "Tekke border design" and the "Indian fish bone" are here employed as in most prayer rugs of the class.
Page [282]. In design this piece is quite characteristic of its class. The octagon is invariably present, sometimes alone, sometimes in an alternate arrangement with diamond forms or with smaller octagons as in this example. Here the smaller octagons only are quartered. The peculiar arrangement of the "fish bone" design, the wide web and the loose warp threads at each end are also characteristic features.
Page [150]. Knot: Senna. Number to the inch horizontally sixteen, vertically eighteen, to the square inch two hundred eighty-eight. The predominating color throughout is a beautiful terracotta. The four diamond forms through the centre are filled with geometrical figures in buff and terracotta upon a dark blue ground. Of the semi-diamond forms the first and third upper and the second lower have an old ivory background, while the second upper and the first and third lower have a background of a most beautiful buff shade. The figures on all of these are in blue, terracotta and white. The first and third border stripes carry an S form on the top and bottom, while on the sides they carry a form of barber-pole stripe, all upon a dark blue background. The main border stripe carries a peculiar rectilineal eight-petaled flower in different colors upon an old ivory background; the loose yarn ends hanging alternate in red and blue every four inches. The color combination and sheen of this piece are unexcelled.
Stanton Rug (page [162]).—The predominating dark mahogany color and long thick nap, together with a touch of blue in the octagons, makes this piece most attractive. See also frontispiece.
TEKKE BOKHARA PRAYER RUG
(PRINCESS BOKHARA, KHATCHLIE)
BY COURTESY OF NAHIGIAN BROS., CHICAGO, ILL.