Saddlebag Item Number: 2878/19 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Red saddlebag with five tassels, rectangular in shape with a tapered point at the bottom edge. A geometric design embroidered in the centre portion of the bag represents a “cow in the tree/bush” motif. The design itself is embroidered with brown sheep’s wool yarn. A light brown yarn is stitched around the design as a border. There are five tassels at the base of the bag each with three sections of horse hair. Around each of the tassels there is a blue, yellow and red pattern wrapped around the tassel itself. Many of the tassels are knotted. The horse hair is tied to the tassel with a red-orange piece of material. The bag also has a strap that has light brown, orange, yellow and green lines. On either side of the bag where the strap begins are three tassels each with a different coloured end (orange blue and yellow). Also attached to the tassels are several beads (black and white) and round metal discs.
History Of Use
This saddlebag was used on either a horse or a camel for storing clothes.
Narrative
Felt is on of the most important materials in Kyrgyz culture, used to make their yurts, camel and horse hair blankets, and daily articles like rugs, storage bags, sacks, and screens. The Kyrgyz are nomadic herdsmen and until the late 1970s there were about 3000 Kyrgyz living in the Afghan Pamirs. In the summer months they would travel many hundreds of kilometers from the Wakhan Corridor to trade in Kabul in Kyrgyz Bactrian Camel trains. This kurdjun bag would have arrived in Kabul on one of these camel trains, where it was traded by one of the camel drivers to a shopkeeper.
Specific Techniques
This saddlebag is made of a sheep's wool felt base (prepared by Kyrgyz women) that has been stitched an embroidered on top with sheep's wool yarn in traditional Kyrgyz designs (red, blue and white are popular Kyrgyz colours). The horse hair tassels are attached to the bag with goat hair twine decorated on top with coarse sheep's wool yarn that has been dyed yellow to cover it completely.
Item History
- Made in Afghanistan
- Collected in Kabul, Afghanistan during 1974
- Owned by Tamarin Productions Inc. before May 4, 2011
- Received from Tamarin Productions Inc. (Seller) and Ruth Read Bequest (Funding source) on May 4, 2011
What
- Name
- Saddlebag
- Identification Number
- 2878/19
- Type of Item
- saddlebag
- Material
- sheep wool fibre, horse hair, goat hair, metal and glass
- Overall
- height 118.0 cm, width 37.5 cm
Who
- Culture
- Kyrgyz
- Previous Owner
- Tamarin Productions Inc.
- Received from
- Tamarin Productions Inc. (Seller) and Ruth Read Bequest (Funding source)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Afghanistan
- Collected in
- Kabul, Afghanistan
When
- Collection Date
- during 1974
- Ownership Date
- before May 4, 2011
- Acquisition Date
- on May 4, 2011
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 2878/0019