Afshar stake bag?
Price €400 (EUR)
Main Image
Other Images
reverse side
rev.
rev.
rev.
Item Details
Size
26cm(W) x 43cm(L) / 10"(W) x 1'5"(L)
Item Type
trappings
Region
Afshar, Southeast Persia
Date
Second half 19th century (1850 - 1899)
Structure
weft float, weft-faced plain weave, soumak, and braiding.
Materials
wool and cotton
Full Description
bags of this type can be found in Belouch work, that is real Belouchis i.e. Belouchistan, the weavings of the Khorassan tribes (false 'Belouchis), and those of the Afshar. We can only speculate as to the function of these bags. Quiver(?), doubtful, most seem to have been made after the advent of the rifle. Feed bags(?), even more doubtful, not large enough for a camel or horse snout + no grain residue has shown up in any. My guess at "stake bag" is not based on tent stakes though a few, but not all, of these tribes inhabit tents* as opposed to yurts but on a popular ceremonial game in which horsemanship is displayed by grabbing and jerking stakes that have been embedded in the ground while galloping past at full speed on a horse. The rarity of these bags would not contradict such a speculation.
There is bleed in the supplemental braiding at the bottom of the bag and a bit on one face. This did not come from the bag itself but from it's proximity to a later weaving in a pile that got wet. Easily remedied. The side wrapping has been on the bag for quite some time but I don't know if it is original.
*Not to mention that the bags are not large enough to hold all of the stakes that it would take to anchor a tent.
