The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 18, 2025

Turkmen Main Carpet

mid-1850s

Turkmenistan, Yomud tribe, 19th century

Wool, knotted pile, 128-136 symmetrical knots per square inch
Overall: 290 x 160 cm (114 3/16 x 63 in.)
Gift of E.B. and Joan C. Long 2010.190
Location: Not on view

Description

In the Islamic world, carpets symbolize status and wealth. A carpet’s origin can be identified by its design, color, and technique. Shades of red and lobed motifs, or guls, are hallmarks of Turkmen carpets woven by nomadic tribes across northeast Iran, Afghanistan, and central Asia. This main carpet of the Yomud tribe features beautiful colors in the guls on a rich aubergine ground; the decorated skirts, or elem, with stylized flora at each end, are its rarest feature. This carpet would have been the prized possession within the living quarters of a round tent, or yurt.
  • U.S. Ambassador to Turkey; Dr. E. B. Long
  • Islamic art rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 18, 2014-December 14, 2015).
  • {{cite web|title=Turkmen Main Carpet|url=false|author=|year=mid-1850s|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2010.190