Caravans, Covers and Containers

Bag-face
Iraq, Jaf Kurd Tribe
19th Century
Wool pile
118.1 x 78.7 cm (46 1/2 x 31 in.)
Marc Feldman Collection

Jaf Kurds are among the few fully nomadic peoples of the fifteen million Kurdish-speaking populace distributed throughout Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus. Their weavings are highly attractive, noteworthy for their use of soft, lustrous wool, “offset” knotting, and fresh, bright colors including a clear pink and a deep purple. Truly remarkable is that the color combinations of this bag face are repeated in almost mirror reverse on the second bag face from the original object, which is also in the same collection.