A double saddle bag, two pouches joined by a woven bridge, made to hang across an animal's back. Many have been split into halves over the years, so listings often describe one side rather than the pair. Shahsavan soumak and Jaf Kurd examples both appear.

Why do so many listings say 'face'?

Because the decorated pile front and the plain flatwoven back were separate surfaces, and the front is what people kept. The word turns up in a sixth of titles. A smaller group is described as complete with its back, sometimes with original tassels still attached.

Which weaving groups are named most often?

Turkmen naming dominates, in roughly a third of titles. Tekke leads, then Ersari and Yomut, with Salor appearing less often. On the Persian side, Qashqa'i and Afshar recur, along with Luri and Bakhtiari pieces. Caucasian listings bring Shahsavan, Kazak and Shirvan.

How old are these textiles?

The dated range runs from 1750 to 1930. The 1900s are the fullest decade, with the 1880s close behind, and together they account for close to half the dated record. Much of the dating is dealer estimate, hedged as 'circa 1900/20' or 'late 19th century'. A couple of pieces reach into the 18th century, and only four sit in the 1930s.

A bedding or storage container, built as a box from flatwoven panels and carried on animals when a camp moved. It commonly survives as the flat panels alone rather than the assembled container. Shahsavan soumak examples are the ones that recur.

Does anything come from outside Central Asia and Persia?

Yes, though singly. Pieces from India and Kashmir, Tibet, northern China, Morocco, Spain, Romania, Scandinavia and Indonesia each turn up on their own. An American hooked rug appears too. These are occasional arrivals rather than a strand of the category.

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Antique Textiles

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Tribal weavings and embroideries made for use rather than for sale: bags, tent trappings, animal covers and dowry hangings from Central Asia, Persia and the Caucasus.