Medium Storage Bag with Scrolling Design

Artist

Baluch, Western Aghanistan (Afghan)
; Aimaq, Western Afghanistan (Afghan)

Date

Early 20th century

Medium

Wool

Dimensions

Work : 32 x 16 in. (81.28 x 40.64 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of Verne Trinoskey and Paula Armintrout Trinoskey

Object Number

2019.25.33

Label

This rectangular storage bag may have been used by a nomadic or semi-nomadic family to store food, spare clothing, weaving materials or any variety of personal possessions. As is common, it has a pile-woven front and a flat-woven back. Loops at the top of the bag can be threaded together to fasten it shut. The pile-woven front allows it to double as a comfortable cushion or pillow. The bag was likely woven in Western Afghanistan by a Baluch or Aimaq woman. The Aimaq are a mixed ethnic group of Turkic, Mongolian, Iranian and Afghan ancestry. There are four major Aimaq sub-groups: the Taimani, the Timuri, the Jamshidi and the Firozkohi. The weavings of the different Aimaq sub-groups often are similar to each other and to Baluch weavings, making it difficult at times to assign a weaving to a specific group.