A Kyrgyz Arab 'Julkhirs' style long rug, last quarter 20th century, cotton foundation, natural brown and black pile with two dip dyed aubergine panels and a central panel of light cream coloured pile, woven in five separate panels, 280 cm long, 93 cm wide. Provenance: Purchased from Peter winch, 2011, a private collection of Central Asian and related tribal rugs, the rugs in this collection represent the final stage of a tradition of nomadic long-pile weavings used for sleeping purposes, stretching back thousands of years. This tradition was common to many cultures throughout the colder parts of Europe and Asia, and is thought to have its origins in the use of animal fur pelts for sleeping. In many cases, the designs are archaic in the extreme, mirroring designs found in Neolithic cultures from the same areas. Visually, these weavings are at once ancient and incredibly modern, being bold blocks of colour and large geometric designs, and therefore eminently suitable for contemporary interiors.