Back to The Nomads Tent: Tents, Trappings and Bags of an ancient way of life.
Saturday 3rd August to Sunday 25th August 2024
Central Asian nomadic tents, trappings, tribal rugs, tent bands, saddle bags, kilims and cushions.
Most of us, one way or another, are descended from nomadic people who moved around to graze their animals, and adapt to seasonal changes for the best crops. Thousands of years ago this was the most common behaviour of human society. How else to do so but travel light! Tents of the types shown in our exhibition are easily the most eco-friendly homes on the planet. They can be carried on a few pack animals and erected in half a day. An interesting article on the Turkish tent traditions can be seen here.
QASHQAI BLACK TENT
On display will be an authentic Qashqai Black Tent. Woven from goats hair, acquired in a Middle Eastern carpet bazaar in 2012. It is assembled with original reed screens, including a spectacular example decorated with peacocks. Such tents can still be seen in modern Persia, more rarely in Anatolia, and among the Berbers of NW Africa and Bedouins of the Middle East.
RED KITE YURTS
We present also a 3.6m diameter Yurt, loaned to us by Red Kite Yurts, made by hand from sustainable Scottish ash in Perthshire. Yurts are one of the oldest types of tent which are still used across Central Asia. They are now very popular in Scotland and across the UK. Red Kite Yurts hires out yurts of all sizes for weddings, festivals and events. As an extra room in the garden they are excellent value.
NOMADIC ANIMAL TRAPPINGS
There are an amazing variety of animal trappings associated with nomadic cultures: head-dresses, saddle covers and horse and camel decorations for ceremonial occasions. In this exhibition we have picked out a few examples mainly from Persia, Turkey, Central Asia and Afghanistan.
Among the varied and complex techniques applied to animal trappings and the paraphernalia of nomadic life, tent bands are a special category. This exhibition includes a wide variety of styles originating from many different nomadic tribes.
The items displayed demonstrate a remarkable variety of techniques and materials. Not just wool as you expect but cotton, glass and ceramic beads, precious and base metals, shells and other materials are used to serve both functional, decorative and symbolic purposes.
TRIBAL RUGS
Around the walls we are showing rugs mostly from the Belouch of Afghanistan, and Persia. Many weavers have now settled so this is an opportunity to show how they have kept to tradition or in some cases adapted.
