Tekke Carpet

Tekke carpet, floor covering woven by the Tekke Turkmen, the major population group of Turkmenistan. Although elements of the tribe still migrated with their flocks until the Soviet era, most of them were sedentary during the 20th century. Their rugs are the most easily identifiable among the Turkmen, as the quartered gul (characteristic motif) of their larger carpets has become something of a trademark of the tribe and has frequently been copied in other rug-weaving areas. The gul centres are joined by blue lines, and there are smaller figures between the guls. There are also many tent bags and ensis, which are used as scatter rugs in the West.

Tekke rugs almost always show various shades of red as a field colour and are all wool except for patches of pink silk on some of the earlier pieces. The best of them are the most finely woven of Turkmen rugs, with short pile and lustrous wool.