- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Rug with horizontal stripes hung inside tent for decoration and warmth. A dowry piece.
- Long description
- Weft twined rug with bands in white, black and madder colours. Centre seamed. Warp and weft ends braided. This is a dowry piece, made on a ground loom and hung inside tent for decoration and warmth. [RJ 3/2/2003]
- Cultural groups
- Wahiba
- Date / Period
- Date made: 05/03/1986
- Date collected
- 12 July 1986
- Acquisition information
- Donated: 2003
- Materials and processes
- Material Sheep Hair (Wool) Animal, Material Pigment, Process Twined Woven, Process Braided, Process Dyed
- Dimensions
- Width 1600 mm including braided ends, Length 2650 mm including braided ends
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 2003.9.1 Other numbers: Field collector's catalogue number: Textile 4
- Research and responses
Extracts from 'Traditional Spinning and Weaving in the Sultanate of Oman' by Gigi Crocker Jones, Published by the Historical Association of Oman, March 1989. On weft twining, pg 49 - 50: 'The weft, instead of being passed through a shed, is manipulated with the fingers in such a way as to enclose successive warp units; usually three warp ends. A shuttle is not used. When making the very large rug, the abya, each weft unit consists of ten or eight strands of two ply yarn, five held in the left hand and five in the right. Five strands travel under three warp ends and five strands travel over. After covering each warp unit the ten weft strands are crossed over in pairs and thereby change hands. The right hand strands are taken under the next three warp ends. Each row is worked in this manner from the left selvedge to the right, but in blocks rather than all the way across. Six blocks of weft twining are worked at a time, one above the other. A gazelle horn is used to beat down each part of a row. To twine each end of the saddle and hump cloths four strands of two colours (making eight) are worked the whole way across the weft of the fabric. To vary the pattern the order of threads is changed. Rugs are also twined at each end.' [RJ 6/1/2003]
Extracts from 'Traditional Spinning and Weaving in the Sultanate of Oman' by Gigi Crocker Jones, Published by the Historical Association of Oman, March 1989. On the Twined Rug, pg.62: 'Twined Rug: This large, heavy rug weighing anything up to 8 kg is made on the ground loom, but without the use of a shuttle. It is twined as explained previously. It is not often used on the floor, but is hung along the inside of the tent for warmth and decoration. It is only made on the coast of the Wahiba Sands, but only to commission.' [RJ 6/1/2003]
Search terms: Textile, Marriage, Furniture Dwelling, Rug, House-ornament