CHANTEH: Qashqa'i Tree of Life

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Qashqa'i Tree of Life

An unusual chanteh, probably Qashqa'i, featuring an abbreviated tree of life and a mass of flowers. It was purchased from a dealer in the US. Misshapen, and having had a lot of use in the field, the bag gives the impression of being quite old. 11" by 12", it is very densely woven.

This blog documents a collection of small South Persian tribal bags, most of which might be called 'chantehs'. Not all would conventionally be considered 'high quality', but they are generally interesting, and I've tried to include examples of very different styles and techniques. Most were made in the first half of the 20th century; some are earlier, and a handful are recent. Colours are assumed to be natural unless indicated to the contrary, and with a few exceptions, all materials are wool. The photographs were taken in natural light.

Viewers not familiar with the tribes or their confederations - Qashqa'i, Khamseh, Luri (or Lori), Bakhtiari, and Afshar - will find plenty of information on them in Wikipedia. And if you are really interested in collectors' debates and opinions, visit Turkotek, which is a good forum for both informed and speculative views on old textiles.

Click on the images to enlarge them. There are over seventy small bags illustrated here, so if you wish to see everything, remember to view the older pages. The collection has now more or less come to an end, but it is possible that a few pieces will be added from time to time. Curiously, as I've developed more experience in looking at and handling these weavings, my conclusions have become increasingly tentative - so readers should not regard my thoughts as being in any way definitive!

As I said when I started the blog ten years ago, the only book on the subject is 'Jayran - Tribal Woman and the Chanteh' by the late Parviz Homayounpour. It has been a great inspiration, and I heartily recommend it. Otherwise it is difficult to find a substantial group of images of these bags. In that light, I hope that the blog will be useful to collectors and to others who are interested in tribal weavings.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Qashqa'i Tree of Life

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