Silk woven Turkmen skull cap – Central Asia

Object Note
Part of a set constituting of six more items – two pieces of (ZI2023.501012.1 TUNISIA, ZI2023.501012.3 ASIA, ZI2023.501012.4 ASIA, ZI2023.501012.5 OMAN, and ZI2023.501012.6 ASIA).
 
Object History
This colourful women’s skull cap was purchased along with six more items by Dr. Reem Tariq

Ṭariq: (Arabic; Synonym: tulle_bi_talli; talli; badla; khus_dozi ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the Levant Arab region specifically in Lebanon.

El Mutwalli Dr. Reem Tariq

Ṭariq: (Arabic; Synonym: tulle_bi_talli; talli; badla; khus_dozi ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the Levant Arab region specifically in Lebanon.

el Mutwallī: Founder (CEO) of the Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative, a public figure, speaker and author. An expert curator and consultant in Islamic art and architecture, interior design, historic costume, and UAE heritage. in 2023, from Augusta Auction Company, based out of Vermont, USA, to enhance The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative collection.
 
Object Features 
This is a typical Turkmen women’s skull cap or (tahiya Tāḥīyah: (Arabic: ṭāqīyah – small round skull cap), a traditional skull cap often colourfully embroidered and embellished. A part of Turkmen national costume it is worn by both men and women with slight differences in design and construction to distinguish between the genders. )/(taqiya) with a flat top and has been attributed to the Turkmen tribes of Afghanistan by the previous collector.
The previous collector had also attributed this piece as a men’s accessory, however, Turkmen men’s tahiya Tāḥīyah: (Arabic: ṭāqīyah – small round skull cap), a traditional skull cap often colourfully embroidered and embellished. A part of Turkmen national costume it is worn by both men and women with slight differences in design and construction to distinguish between the genders.  typically come with a conical crown while flat crown tahiya Tāḥīyah: (Arabic: ṭāqīyah – small round skull cap), a traditional skull cap often colourfully embroidered and embellished. A part of Turkmen national costume it is worn by both men and women with slight differences in design and construction to distinguish between the genders.  like this are worn by women.
It is hand woven in an array of colourful silk threads – orange, purple, black, yellow, and white – depicting abstract and geometric designs. It is very similar in style to the silk skull caps typical of Bokhara, Uzbekistan which are far removed from the typical black skull caps Uzbek men.
The base of the cap is possibly a thick layer of felt which has been thickly embroidered with silk threads. The piece is completely hand stitched and unlined.
 
Links

• Valérie Bérinstain, Mary Hunt Kahlenberg, Zaira Mis, Marcel Mis. Asian Costumes and Textiles from the Bosphorus to Fujiyama: The Zaira and Marcel Mis Collection. California: Skira, 2001. 


• Suleman, Fahmida. Textiles of the Middle East and Central Asia (British Museum) The Fabric of Life. London: Thames and Hudson, 2017. 


• Embroidery from Afghanistan Fabric, folios. Sheila Paine. Washington: University of Washington Press, 2006. 


• Sukhareva, Olʹga Aleksandrovna. Suzani Suzani: (Farsi: suzandozi : needlework, from Farsi: suzan: needle, dozi: embellishment), type of embroidered and decorative Central Asian tribal textile art usually on a cotton fabric, embroidered in both silk or cotton thread with primarily chain, satin, and buttonhole stitches as well as couching technique. : Central Asian Decorative Embroidery. Samarkand: SMI Asia, 2013. 


• Pennell, Suzanne. The Art of Gold Embroidery from Uzbekistan. Brisbane: Story Bridge Press, 2015. 


• https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-iranica-online/clothing-COM_7759?lang=fr#COM-10186 


• https://books.google.ae/books?id=L-ViFsLAQb0C&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false 


• https://nationalclothing.org/asia/112-turkmenistan/605-traditional-women%E2%80%99s-tahya-headwear-in-turkmenistan.html 


• https://trc-leiden.nl/collection/?trc=TRC%202000.0120 


• http://karakalpak.com/sawkele02.html 


• https://central-asia.guide/turkmenistan/turkmen-culture/turkmen-clothing/ 


• https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-digital-exhibition/index.php/afghan-dress/item/80-turkmen-dress