Plate Eight
1 foot 8 inches x 2 feet
54 cm. x 60 cm.

All the soumak bags illustrated here are believed to have been made as a one of a pair but unlike the others, this example still retains its original black and blue alternating striped back and multi-colored overcast side finish. Even the brown fastening loops, which were used to close the bag, have remained and are readily visible at the top.

In contrast to the field designs seen in the previous examples, this bag has a large central medallion with a far more complex arrangement of symbols. Its eight-pointed star-like outline has been created by twisting a square within a square at a 45 degree angle. Four small flanking octagonal medallions and another small octagonal inner medallion all contain the same hooked design, which also appears in the border of plate three. Again this cohesive use of parallel design elements, not to mention the crystal-clear drawing style, high quality materials and dyes and so far unrecorded design used in the secondary border stripes signify this bag's high level of originality and imply that it was not woven as a copy of another bag.




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