The Ersari — One of the Ten Turkmen Tribes

The Ersari are one of the ten major Turkmen tribes (Salor, Saryk, Tekke, Chodor, Arabachi, Imreli, Yomud, Ersari, Bukhara, Karachi). Their settlement area spans the borderlands of northern Afghanistan, southern Turkmenistan and parts of Uzbekistan — in the steppes between Merv, Mazar-i-Sharif and Bukhara.

Historically, most Turkmen tribal carpets with a red base were traded through Bukhara, which led to the simplifying term “Bukhara rug” — a market name that conceals the rich variety of tribal authorship. For accurate attribution, the Jozan Carpet Encyclopedia documents the distinct gül designs and knot structures of each tribe.

The Gül — Heart of Turkmen Design

The gül (Turkmen for “rose” or “flower”) is the defining motif of Turkmen weaving. Each tribe has its own gül variant. The Ersari gül is typically large, octagonal and close to a square shape, repeated across the field in a quartered grid — a textile expression of tribal heraldry and ancestral identity.

Compared with other Turkmen weaves, Ersari rugs are recognised by:

• —Large-scale gül in proportion to the field
• —Above-average border-to-field ratio — a signature compositional balance
• —Deep madder reds, indigo, ivory and aubergine from natural plant dyes

Construction & Materials

• •Pile: hand-spun highland wool, traditionally with the natural lanolin retained
• •Foundation: wool warp and weft in antique pieces; cotton in modern production
• •Pigments: traditionally vegetable and mineral dyes — madder, indigo, walnut, pomegranate
• •Knot: the symmetric (Turkish) knot, providing exceptional density and durability

Why Choose an Ersari from the Djoharian Collection

• —Tribal authenticity — each piece selected for genuine Ersari gül design and traditional wool
• —Label STEP Fair Trade partner — ethical sourcing throughout
• —Professionally cleaned and finished before delivery
• —Djoharian Collection — since 1967