The Kurds have been in the news again recently. After the various 20th century re-drawings of that part of the map, they found themselves split between five countries: Iran, Iraq, Russia, Turkey and Syria. Historically, that had been irrelevant, as they were pastoral nomads migrating across frontiers with their flocks in the mountaineous areas which make up Kurdistan. Once the political boundaries hardened, everything changed, and Soviet Russia, the Turkey of the Armenian genocide, Saddam Hussein and the Ayatollahs have all variously contributed to the less than favourable climate for Kurdish speakers over the last century and more.

Enough of all that: apart from insurgency, the Kurds also produce textiles, as can be seen in this example of embroidery on top of  plain grey woven woolen cloth. This I suppose to be from the Turkish Kurds, as the people from whom I bought it travel regularly to Turkey to purchase textiles - in fact, it is the same outfit from whom I bought the small Milas carpet featured in art objects 4 at http://94stranger.wordpress.com/2007/09/10/art-objects-4-small-turkish-milas-carpet/

So, here is the hanging: enjoy!

kurdish-decorative-wall-han.jpg (try at 300-400%)