The Hoffmeister Collection is one of the best and most extensive private collections of antique and historic Turkmen knotted carpets in Western Europe and America. It competes alongside important collections from Western museums as well as those in Russia and Turkmenistan. With almost 200 objects - among which are distinguished carpets and bags - artistic excellence and historical significance come together. As one of the first to do so, Hoffmeister has determined the age of these knotted works of the Turkmen with the aid of radio-carbon techniques. According to the results from the science and technology university ETH in Zurich, the earliest pieces of the collection originate from the sixteenth century.Both the cultural significance of the collection and the scientific and artistic value of its pieces are discussed in this book.

Daniel Shaffer

Preface

Peter Hoffmeister

Introduction and Acknowledgements

Elena Tsareva

Introduction

The Historical Background

THE FIRST STORY. Salors and Chodors. Partners or Rivals?

THE S EC0 N D STORY. The Salors. Voices from the Past. Only Masterpieces.

Images: cat. 1-17

THE THIR D STORY. Saryks. Who Invented Symmetric Knotting?

Images: cat. 18- 27

THE FOURTH STORY. Tekke. Newcomers to the Field. To Sell or not to Sell?

Images: cat. 28-73

THE FIFTH STORY. The Yomut. Between the Caspian and the Amu Darya.

Images: cat. 74-86

THE SIXTH STORY. The 'Eagle' Group. Who Were the Weavers?

Images: cat. 87-91

THE SEVENTH STORY. Chodor and Igdyr. Purple as the Ploughed Earth.

Images: cat. 92-103

THE EIGHTH STORY. The Arabachi. Rare and Beautiful.

Images: cat. 104-106

THE NINTH STORY. Middle Amu Darya. The Babylon of Central Asia.

Images: cat. 107-134

THE TENTH STORY. Unidentified Rugs. To Attribute or Not?

Images: cat. 135-139

THE ELEVENTH STORY. Tent Bands. Children of the Steppes.

Images: cat. 140-166

THE TWELFTH STORY. Flatweaves and Embroidery of the Turkoman.

Images: cat. 167-168

Description and Analysis of ObJects, cat. 1-168

Deutsche Ubersetzung:

Daniel Shaffer

Vorwort

Peter Hoffmeister

Einfihrung und Dank

Elena Tsareva

Einfuhrung

Der historische Hintergrund

STORY 1. Salor und Chodor. Partner oder Rivalen?

ST0 RY 2. Die Salor. Stimmen aus der Vergangenheit. Nur Meisterwerke.

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 1-17

STORY 3. Die Saryk. Wer erfand den symmetrischen Knoten?

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 18-27

STORY 4. Die Tekke. Newcomer auf dem Gebiet. Verkaufen oder nicht verkaufen?

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 28-73

STORY 5. Die Yomud. Zwischen dem Kaspischen Meer und dem Amu Darya.

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 74-86

STORY 6. Die Adler -Gruppe. Wer kniipfte diese Teppiche?

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 87-91

STORY 7. Chodor und Igdyr. Purpur wie frisch gepfltigte Erde.

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 92-1o3

STORY 8. Die Arabachi. Selten und sch6n.

Abbildungen:.Kat.-Nr. lO4- lO6

STORY 9. Der Mittlere Amu Darya. Das Babylon Zentralasiens.

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. lO7-134

STO RY lO. Nicht identifizierte Stiicke. Zuschreiben oder nicht zuschreiben?

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 135-139

STORY 11. Die Zeltb/inder. Kinder der Steppe.

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 14o-166

STORY 12. Flachgewebe und Stickerei der Turkmenen.

Abbildungen: Kat.-Nr. 167-168

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