A September 23/October 6, 2001, Turkotek.com
discussion was devoted to offset knotting, with fourteen people
posting photos
and comments on where
and why these techniques have been used by tribal
weavers. To read the discussion and
also see larger photos and details, go to Turkotek.com/Salon
73. Offset Knotting: Where and Why?
Kenneth Thompson posted photos of an intriguing
knotted-pile saddlebag face that combined offset hooked figures with
regularly knotted Turkmen guls. The piece is
most likely Kurdish, from Khorasan in northeastern Persia. An
unusual Yomut
bag face belonging to Allan Arthur shows the same figure in
field compartments executed with offset knotting. The figures
in this weaving were flattened because of an unbalanced weave--a
much higher
vertical than horizontal knot count. |
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Above: Kurdish Khorasan knotted-pile bag face. Kenneth
Thompson.
Left: Detail, Yomut knotted-pile mafrash.
Allan Arthur.
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An exceptional Turkmen torba from Steve Price's
collection displays a border like that in the Yomut bag above, but
with potential distortions avoided by offset knotting. No offsets
appear in the field. |
Turkmen trapping.
Steve Price.
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Patrick Weiler posted an unusual Baluch balisht
with offset knotting used throughout the field to shape small,
irregular boteh
motifs.
Pat noted that this piece was symmetrically knotted. Kurdish
perhaps? No one else could find offset knotting in their Baluch
rugs and bags.
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Baluch balisht. Patrick
Weiler.
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| Daniel Deschuyteneer showed us
more rugs and small weavings with offset knotting in hooked hexagon designs from Anatolia and
Western Persia. He also posted a group of
Anatolian rugs and yastiks with offset "baklava" designs
from Anatolia. |
Yastik, Eastern Anatolia.
Plate 113, Brian Morehouse, Yastiks, 1996.
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Yastik, Eastern Anatolia.
Plate 116, Brian Morehouse,
Yastiks, 1996.
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| Steve Price and John Howe
posted photos of Turkmen asmalyks--a Yomut piece with a
"bird and pole" border with offset knotting, and an
asmalyk attributed by M. Craycraft to the Ata. This second piece
shows offset knotting used extensively throughout. Examples from the Rickmers Collection
were contrasted, as the discussion turned to speculations on
reasons for field-pattern breakdowns near the side
borders. |
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Yomut asmalyk. Steve
Price
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Turkmen (Ata ?) asmalyk.
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A lengthy discussion
ensued over the relationship between craftsmanship and offset
knotting. Using unworked macramé elements for comparison, John
Howe suggested that erratic or disguised transitional elements in offset knotting might be
viewed as a similar sign of poor craftsmanship.
Others disagreed, stressing that by doubling the
number of warp pairs available, creativity was encouraged, the medium
was stretched, and positive results were achieved. |
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Related offset flatwoven
structures were illustrated. Daniel Deschuyteneer posted a
Khorasan reverse soumak saddlebag with small offset areas. John Howe posted another Khorasan
bag face, but with offset
reverse soumak throughout. Design idiosyncrasies in the
field/side border areas were discussed, along with those in West
Persian Jaf knotted-pile bags. Filiberto
Boncompagni posted details of a Caucasian reverse soumak
saddlebag -- the same
basic structure, but with the faces reversed. |
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Detail, Khorasan saddlebag
with
reverse soumak and
reverse
offset soumak.
Daniel Deschuyteneer.
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Detail, Khorasan bag face
with
reverse offset soumak.
John
Howe.
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Offset soumak
saddlebag
panel, reverse side.
Filiberto Boncompagni.
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| Christoph Huber posted a detail of an astonishing
Ersari carpet with no offset knotting, but with design features
that may have been copied from a rug with all-over offset
knotting. Small diagonal details throughout are smooth-edged,
while heavy, large verticals have ragged edges, as when knots are
offset. Intriguing speculation. |
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Detail, Ersari Beshir carpet, Plate
299, Uwe Jourdan, Turkoman, 1989.
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Vincent Keers posted photos of a Chinese carpet and saddle rug
with offset knotting used to articulate design details. Both
borders and gently inclining diagonals shaping the saddle rug
itself were formed with periodic offsets. |
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Detail,
reverse, Chinese saddle rug. Vincent Keers.
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Turkmen ak
chuval details were posted by Sophia Gates and Christoph
Huber, prompting a detailed discussion of the varying uses of
offset knotting in the unique narrow bands and skirt designs.
Christoph hypothesized that brocade motifs in the bands were most
likely first copied in pile on a flatweave ground, as that
approach most naturally approximated the approach of
overlay-underlay brocade weavers. In such instances, knot
transitions would be rarely needed, and with no background filling
of knots, no problems of transitions or irregularities would occur
in awkward areas between the figures.
Of all of the issues raised in the discussion, this area offers
perhaps the most fertile ground for more study. Both Christoph and
I would appreciate receiving scans of details from anyone who has
such weavings. |
Above, Detail, Turkmen ak chuval, Sophia Gates.
Right, Detail, Turkmen ak chuval, Christoph Huber.
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Several related issues were discussed and many more photos were
posted. To read the commentaries, go to:
Turkotek
Salon 73. Discussion of Offset Knotting
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Return
to:
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7.A
- Offset Knotting: Where and Why? |
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7.B
- Turkmen Offset Knotting |
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7.C
- Early Examples of Offset Knotting |
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