Item Ref
LPN4
Vanity-bags - 'chanteh' in Persian - were made by women for their use only and were never intended for sale commercially. This charming tiny chanteh was woven by Bakhtiari nomads during the last quarter of the nineteenth century - the face in soumak technique and the back, with its depiction of four deer or gazelle, in warp-face technique. The base of the bag, as was done with the larger Bakhtiari storage-bags and saddle-bags, is in knotted-pile for resilience. Note the old buckle sewn into the top left corner! This would have had a braided cord wrapped around it originally, and used for carrying the bag. The large double-headed sunbird on its side on the face of the bag, is there symbolically, for protecting the contents, which might have included a mirror, jewellery and coins.
Tiny chantehs made by the Bakhtiari are rare these days and very collectable.
Size: 20cm x 19cm (8" x 7").
£850