YOMUD
Synonyms.—Yamoud, Yamut. Sometimes called yellow or brown Bokhara.
Why So Named.—After a tribe of Nomadic Turkomans by that name who dwell in the western part of Turkestan on the plains along the shores of the Caspian.
Knot.—Either the Senna or the Ghiordes. Number vertically eight to fifteen; number horizontally seven to twelve; number to square inch fifty-six to one hundred eighty.
Warp.—Brown wool or goats' hair.
Woof.—Good wool of medium length or goats' hair. Frequently dyed red.
Nap.—Fine wool of medium length or goats' hair.
Sides.—A coarse selvage of two cords which are colored in alternate squares of red and blue, red and brown, or two shades of red, giving it a checker-board effect.
Ends.—A wide web at each end in plain red or with blue stripes. Frequently stripes of colored wool are worked into the web with apparently as much care and skill as that given to the body of the rug. Finished with a fringe of loose warp threads which are occasionally twisted at irregular intervals.
Border.—There are usually three border stripes, one medium sized one with a narrow one on each side. The barber-pole stripe, the reciprocal saw-teeth, and the latch hook variations are the predominating border designs.
Prevailing Colors.—Ground almost invariably of a rich brownish red which is softer and deeper in tone than that of the Khivas and Tekkes. Figures in drab, blue, green, and yellow.
Dyes.—Usually the best.
Designs.—The tribal patterns show great individuality and combine the Turkoman octagon with many of the Caucasian designs. A common arrangement is that of octagons and elongated diamond forms in alternate rows with plenty of latch hook variations. Very frequently the field is covered with the diamond forms alone.
Prices.—From $0.75 to $2.50 per square foot.
Sizes.—Seldom smaller than five by eight or larger than eight by eleven feet.
Remarks.—They resemble the Bokharas in some respects and the Caucasian products in others. About the only antique, in carpet sizes, now found in the market.
THE EXAMPLE ILLUSTRATED
Maj. L. B. Lawton's Description.—This weave is the rarest of the Turkomans. So rare is it that Mr. Mumford in his article in the Century Magazine, January, 1910, states that to his knowledge no bales of antique Yomuds had been imported for seven years. Nearly all Yomuds have the cross pattern, are usually deeper in tone than their cousins the prayer Bokharas, and lack the little niche. Yomuds are silkier than prayer Bokharas, and have the color of the Delaware grape. This specimen has an unique pattern as a panel across the end, otherwise it is typical. Yomuds adhere more closely to their type than do any other weave.
YOMUD RUG
Size 5'7" × 4'4"
PROPERTY OF COLONEL GEORGE G. BRIGGS, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.