An outstanding antique Tekke Turkoman / Turkmen silk embroidered on silk yellow Chyrpy ( Cherpi / Chirpi / Chyrpi ), dating to mid 19th Century or even older. The Chyrpy was the quintessential garment of the women of Tekke Turkoman tribes of central asia. They were worn as a cloak over the head with the false sleeves hanging down the back. They were made in various ground colour types. Each colour symbolised the status of the woman who would wear it. While all women had and wore the darker indigo and black examples, the yellow ones were reserved only for the married women. Being the most important garment in her life, the chyrpy would be the last thing she would depart with. For this reason the yellow Chyrpy has always been a rare textile art and sought after by collectors around the world. This is one of the most beautiful examples i have come across. Like all great early to mid 19th century examples, you see so many varying motifs repeating in each section of the piece. On the back we see extravagant rams horns, on the side we see archaic floral patterns and on the sleeves and bottom we see cactus like floral designs. The collar design also is magnificent. The colours are incredible and all derived from natural dyes. The quality of the silk is paper thin (as expected from early examples). It has a beautiful block print lining. It is in a very good condition and would add nicely to any collection. Size: sneck to bottom 122cm (48").