"water Bag" Rug. Yomud. Turkmen. Circa 1880. 58 X 40 Cm

What ingenuity! Among everyday objects used by nomadic populations, here is an extremely rare item. A true collector's piece. For the Yomud Turkmen, water is paramount. This object was used to keep this precious liquid cool. First, a perfectly sized and airtight ceramic jar was filled with water. Then, the outer walls of the jar were moistened and soaked. Finally, this small pouch was submerged in the water until the wool fibers became saturated. The jar was placed inside, allowing cool water to be kept throughout the day, even in the sweltering heat. It's the ancestor of the insulated bag. Woven and knotted wool upon wool, the velvet is approximately 1 cm thick to retain a large quantity of water. The tassels are made of horsehair. The exclusively plant-based dyes are marvelous, deep, dense, and saturated. The object is composed of two identical sides, each as beautiful as the other. Circa 1880. Dimensions: 58 x 40 cm. Laurent Beauty of Kilims