Panel
Lakai or Kungrad
Central Asia, Uzbekistan
19th century
The history of the nomadic peoples of Central Asia is quite challenging to disentangle. Their history is preserved through nomadic oral tradition and in the literature of sedentary peoples with whom nomads came into contact. A difficulty lies in the fact that these sedentary peoples do not call the nomads by the names they use for themselves. Furthermore, allegiances between the nomadic groups are such that different tribes come together, disperse, and regroup in ways that are difficult to comprehend. The embroidered textiles of these nomadic groups, such as the Lakai and Kungrad, who in earlier scholarship were all grouped together as Uzbeks, initially came onto the market in the 1970s. This striking panel is an example of the dramatic textiles associated with the so-called Uzbek nomads. Such textiles were used for decoration, continuing a tradition in which similar items were used as containers.
Embroidered cover
Central Asia, Uzbekistan
18th or 19th century
Cotton and silk; embroidery
Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection
Photo by Don Tuttle Photography
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