CIRCA: 1800’s / 19th C.
Impressive Central Asian ikat* panel, most probably Uzbek, from the late 1800’s / 19th century with a red cotton floral print backing. It features red poppy flower-like circles – or to some, stylised pomegranate motifs – on a pinkish-white backdrop which alternate with yellow ‘S’ motifs on a purplish background with totemic-like horizontal edges. The pinkish colour is actually a visual effect achieved through the combination of, in this case, the white warps and red-dyed silk wefts (which are used throughout the piece, see circular photos, the more close-up of which is only 1.25cm – 1/2inch diameter), while the ‘S’ motif can also be seen as a secondary design in a lighter shade of red inside the larger red circles. Made up of four individual lengthways strips stitched together, three the same width while one is narrower, in which the central pair of half circles, when viewed on the horizontal, gives the appearance of a pair of eyes peering out at the viewer. Overall the colours and the juxtaposition of the offset designs throughout the piece gives it a striking appeal. (Coats called ‘chapans’ were often made out of this same ikat material. The example lower right shows two made out of a very similar designed ikats with the same pinkish background.) Backed by a red cotton cloth of Russian origin with a floral design, the size is 230cm x 153 and both the warp and weft are silk (a so-called ‘Atlas’** ikat) super-tightly woven with 188 warp threads per linear inch and 107 wefts per linear inch. It has been in the one collectors hands now for decades and the condition is very good.
*”Ikat is a style of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft before the threads are woven to create a pattern or design“. For a detailed explanation of the Central Asian ikat weaving process please see https://asianartnewspaper.com/central-asian-ikats-islamic-textiles-patterned-textiles-from-asia-asian-ikat-fabric-how-ikat-is-made/
**Ikats with all silk construction (both warp and weft) are referred to as Atlas ikats, while ikats with a silk warp and a cotton weft are referred to as ‘Adras’ ikats.
For more information on Central Asian Ikats see https://voicesoncentralasia.org/how-ikat-accompanied-history-in-central-asia/
And some striking modern Central Asian ikats here – https://voicesoncentralasia.org/captain-ikat-textile-fantasies-of-dilyara-kaipova/