Description

This Bakhtiari band dates to the early 20th century.

It was made as a pack band to be used by this southwest Persian tribe on migration. Because of their intended function of tying household goods on to pack animals, these bands had to be very sturdy and at the same time have a considerable degree of elasticity in order to withstand great tension. This effect is achieved by the complex weave employed: it is a compound warp-faced double weave in wool and cotton, the cotton being undyed white and the wool in indigo blue and madder red.

The weave is reversible, so you can enjoy the striking graphics from both the front and the back. However, some of the patterns only properly stand out when seen from the front, notably the highly stylized animal seen in the first image. Other geometric designs include hooked diamond shapes in various configurations and a comb like structure seen in the third image.

The band in hand is complete, with tassels in dark brown, undyed wool decorating the ends. It is a relatively short example of its type, with bands sometimes measuring twice this length.

It is in excellent condition and a great example of tribal weaving serving both a practical as well as an aesthetic purpose.

£750