694. an illustrious antique Yomut Hatchlu or engsi

694. Provenance: Yomut tribe, Turkoman tribes, Turkmenistan or possibley northeastern Persia

Age: Circa 1920

Size: 144 x 114 cm

Condition: Some holes/damages that have been repaired/secured since the picture was taken. Losses at ends and corners, fully and professiobally secured.

Notes:  'Ensi or Engsi' means 'door curtain' in the language of the Turkomans. It is unsure where the cruciform design developed, but it may have been influenced by Imperial Russia's Christian crosses, although it is more likely that it merely represents the typical cruciform shape in a wooden door. This would have hung at the entrance of the tribal yurt or tent, and would unlikely have been used anywhere else.