Chuval
Western Anatolia

Anatolian woolen grain sacks, best known by the Turkish term "chuval", were at one time frequently encountered in villages. Being utilitarian objects, they were often made of undyed striped wool, a typical characteristic of nomad transport bags from Morocco to the western Chinese border. But decorated examples such as this one, with its alternating bands of sumakh and colored plainweave on one side and ivory alternating with colored plainweave on the other, appear in many collections of Anatolian weavings.

This chuval has good color and drawing. It has clearly seen domestic use, preserved today just as it was found in a Turkish village. Rodents have chewed holes in the bottom to access its contents, the piece has not been opened up, and the warp-faced plainweave straps, used to lift the bag, are still intact. It was purchased together with a second piece which has straps cut from the same band as on the illustrated example.

Sack-shaped bags with the dimensions of this piece were more commonly used in Anatolia than elsewhere and appear with a broad range of technique and decoration.

Structural Data:

Size: 3’ 3” x 1’ 11” (99 x 59 cm.)

Warp: Beige and ivory wool, Z2S

Front
Ground Weft:Bands of weft-faced plainweave in ivory, red, blue and salmon wool, 22 per vertical inch, light Z2S
Pattern Weft: 4:2 countered sumakh, 16 per vertical inch; overlay underlay brocading; complementary weft weave
Ends: Hemmed with original Z2S beige wool

Join Z2S wool overcast stitch

Back

Bands of weft-faced plainweave in ivory, red, blue and salmon wool, 22 per vertical inch, light Z2S
Strap: Sections of a warp-faced plainweave band, red, blue, and salmon Z2S wool, black and white Z2S goathair, sewn onto both sides of the bag