Yurt Bag

Embroidered yurt bag from the Uzbeks in Afghanistan, mid-20th century. Embroidered yurt bag from the Uzbeks in Afghanistan, mid-20th century. Courtesy Textile Research Centre, Leiden, acc. no. TRC 2016.1821.

The Textile Research Centre in Leiden houses a yurt bag from the Uzbeks in Afghanisan, dating to the mid-twentieth century. It measures 80 x 38 x 24 cm. It is made of a cotton ground material with silk embroidery.

The yurt bag is made from a front embroidered with a design of interconnecting diamonds, squares and triangles, with a wave pattern between the main motifs. The panel has a band of horned diamond patterns around the outer edge. The sides of the bag are made from dark red velvet, while the back is made up of several pieces of striped cloth.

This type of bag was a major element in the furnishings of a yurt and was used to contain specific items when the yurt was being moved from one location to another. Inside the yurt such a bag had a position of honour.

TRC online catalogue (retrieved 14 November 2016).

WV

Last modified on Saturday, 04 March 2017 20:38
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