Ali Eli Chuval
36" X 69"
Warp - Wool, brown, mixed with hair?
Weft -Two shots, but color and composition
vary, depending on location;
Red wool, in decorative end
treatments;brown wool in areas not seen
from the fron (economy of materials?)
White cotton, the entire flat woven back
Knott- Asymmetrical, open left 8 h. X 12 v. = 96 Kpsi.
Pile - 3/16 "- 1/4 " wool
There is also to be found upon the back of this chuval a 3 3/4" band, worked in weft float, that appears to be a reinforcement of the end of the flat woven back and closure system.
Colors 7
2 Reds
Natural dk brown
Ivory
Dk blue
Dk blue black
Orange
It is my understanding that the open left knotting and this particular incarnation of a twelve triangle banner gul are characteristic of the Ali Eli.
The photo of a kindered chuval, depicted in Figure 3 of the Textile Museum's "Turkmen", is labeled as
"Ali Eli Turkmen, north Afghanistan"
These photos of the end treatment and closure. Note the red wefts, and the decorative black
and red piping used to secure the ends.There are three rows of such piping, two of which are
hidden by pile.