The name for these kinds of patterned felts, arbabash, means cart cover (or head). This may be a remnant of the nomadic past, when ancestors of today’s Caucasian felt-makers used two-wheeled carts with a superstructure covered in felt. Now felts like this example are used as both wall hangings and as floor coverings in the home. The technique for making this style of felt is similar to that of the Kyrgyz felt in this section of the exhibition, with the addition of white piping, which emphasizes the design.

Cover
Eastern Caucasus; Daghestan
20th century
Wool; felt
Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection
Photo by Don Tuttle Photography