Asian Textiles: Textiles of Nomadic People from Asia

Rug with Bands of Geometric Patterns
The Uzbek people, 20th century

Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 13
July 14, 2026 (Tue) - September 6, 2026 (Sun)

This exhibit presents textiles collected by Ms. Kiyoe Matsushima, a researcher of nomadic peoples who had a deep passion for the nomads of West Asia. She collected these items in West Asia between the 1960s and the 1980s.

Since ancient times, nomadic peoples have lived itinerant lives with their livestock, moving across the plateau regions that extend from northwestern India through Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran to Turkey. Without fixed places of residence, they lived in tribal groups. Nomads were largely self-sufficient in meeting the needs of daily life; their clothing, bags, tent coverings, and other textile items were made by spinning wool from their livestock or by turning wool fibers into felt. Each tribe also developed its own distinctive designs, enabling its members to identify one another from a distance. In today’s world, however, nomadic lifestyles have also modernized, and as a result, their traditional culture is gradually being lost.

Major Work(s) on Exhibit 4 results

	Designation	Name	Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance	Period	Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number	CMT
Highlight		Rug with Bands of Geometric Patterns	The Uzbek people	20th century	TI-559-2
Highlight		Rug with Diamonds and Sawtooth Patterns	The Luri people	First half of the 20th century	TI-561-7
Highlight		Bridal Bedspread with Sawtooth and Geometric Patterns and Diamonds	The Marsh Arab people	Start of the 20th century	TI-560-2
Highlight		Rug with Geometric Patterns and Linked Diamonds Containing Stars	Turkey	20th century	TI-563-14

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