TURKMENSARIK
A Brief History
by William A.Wood

Writing Turkmen history is always a difficult task due to the fact that, as is typical of nomadic cultures, the Turkmens left very few written sources prior to the twentieth century. What information we do have generally comes from writers in neighbouring sedentary states, often avowed enemies of the Turkmens, and from the chance European traveller's account. However, in recent decades more information has come to light displaying an indigenous Turkmen perspective on their past, thanks in large part to the efforts of modem, especially...

Writings on the weavings of the Saryk Turkmens are relatively limited. These listed in the bibliography adress specific aspects of Saryk weavings from technical and design aspects or contain illustrations of them. The Saryks were not prodigious weavers, and their weavings are scantily represented in most Turkmen rug bokks. These illustrations provide a visual accompaniment to the article by William A. Wood on the ethnogenesis and history of the Saryks. That exhibit technical features, colours and patterns found in most Saryk weavings. The descriptions of these pieces taken together provided comments on the characteristic features of Saryk weaving in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. All are woven with the symmetric knot and have some degree of warp depression. Synthetic dyes are noted in the individual descriptions...

On the evening of 23 September, the much awaited Italian ICOC was inaugurated with a cocktail party in Milan's Palazzo delle Stelline, in the very central via Magenta. This also marked the official opening of the International Dealer's Fair, comprising more than one hundred stands located within the building, all of which were buzzing with life throughout the conference. Following the inaugural event was a chock-full agenda of public and private exhibitions, lectures, and evening receptions. Registrations for the conference continued on Friday morning, finally drawing to a close at around 13.30; Alberto Levi's organisation was of an efficiency which a city such as Milan could be proud of. Having overcome the initial inconvenience of hotel accomodation (usually with this type of event the dealer's fair, lectures and accomodation are conveniently located within one building) and Milanese public transport , the ICOC network began , once again, to work its magic. The choice of venue turned out to be a good one. ...