{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O76670"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O76670/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AW3574/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AW3574/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AW3574","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O76670/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O76670","accessionNumber":"T.157-1997","objectType":"Bag face","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Bags are important household articles for all nomadic people.  They are used to transport possessions on pack animals when the community travels and are used for storage and decoration, and as something comfortable to lean against, when the community settles for a while and erects tents.  The two sides of a bag, back and front, are called 'faces' and the one at the front is often decorated with knotted pile or with a woven design.  The loose red and blue woollen threads extending from one side of this bag face are all that remain of the decorative overstitching which would have joined together the back and front. It was presented to the donor's grandfather, EHS Clarke, in 1885 while he was a member of the Durand Mission to Afghanistan.","physicalDescription":"Bag face of hand-knotted woollen knotted pile, on woollen warp and weft.\r\n\r\nWARP: light brown wool; Z2S; 16 threads per inch (58-63 per dm).\r\n\r\nWEFT: light brown wool; Z spun, unplied; 2 shoots after each row of knots; average of 12 knots per inch (41-47 per dm).\r\n\r\nPILE: wool and cotton; 7 colours: red, light red, yellow, dark green, dark blue, brown, white (wool and cotton); asymmetrical knot, open to the right and tied around 2 threads; 96 knots per sq. inch (average of 1334 per sq.dm).\r\n\r\nSIDE FINISH: one cord oversewn with red wool from which there are the remains of a red and blue fringe. The fringe wool is loosely spun and unplied, max.length 2.5 in (7cms); each colour block 1.5 in (4cms) wide.\r\n\r\nEND FINISH: Lower: evidence of 1 inch (2.5cms) plain weave in narrow bands of brown, red, blue with red lozenges, and red, turned down and stitched in place. Upper: incomplete but evidence at extreme right of plain weave with red weft.\r\n\r\nDESIGN: described from the top:\r\n\r\nField: red ground, some abrash, with 3 bands of alternating blue or green blossoms (6 in bands 1 and 3, 5 in band 2) hanging from self-coloured, horizontal stems and with contrasting centres including yellow or white knots, 5 white clusters are in cotton.   Between each blossom is a sprig of 5 white flowers, all outline in brown, the topmost flower bearing a pair of angular horns in dark blue. The ground to the extreme right has small stylised motifs.   \r\n\r\nMain border: red ground with stepped brackets on both sides, mostly chevrons, enclosing stylised flowerheads in blue, green, white, yellow or in combinations of these.\r\nInner Border: alternating brown and red squares, the former with 5 white knots.\r\nOuter border: red ground with yellow, dark green, dark blue and white diagonal blocks.\r\nOutermost border: red ground and single line of stars in blue and green, 2.5 inches (7cms) to 1.5 inches (4cms) in size, composed to 4 angles, diagonally paired, the green tipped with a white knot, usually cotton, and the blue with yellow wool.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Hand-knotted woollen pile","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Household objects","id":"THES48939"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2006AW3574"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES312124"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bag face","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Afghanistan","id":"x30023"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1883","earliest":"1878-01-01","latest":"1887-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Colonel D.S. Clarke","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"161","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"51","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This bag face (or perhaps it was then a complete bag) was presented to the donor's grandfather, EHS Clarke, in 1885 while he was a member of the Durand Mission to Afghanistan.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Bag face of hand-knotted woollen knotted pile, Afghanistan, ca. 1883","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"stylized flowers","id":"x30131"},{"text":"geometric patterns","id":"AAT165213"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.157-1997"],"accessionNumberNum":"157","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1997,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-12","availableToBook":true}}