THE TORBA

To continue with our theme on nomadic storage and transport bags, we now turn our attention to the torba.

The Jozan dictionary defines the torba thus:

A Turkmen torba is a storage bag open to the long side and similar to a chuval but not so deep.

Brian MacDonald describes the torba as "a small storage-bag used for carrying personal possessions such as jewellery and ranked amongst the finest work in the Turkmen repertoire."

He further contextualizes the torba under the heading 'The Dowry.'

"Young girls are taught the art of weaving from a very young age, but from the age of about seven they are required to start preparing a dowry or trousseau for their marriage at around the age of fifteen years. The dowry of a young Turkmen girl in Turkmenistan during the nineteenth century [would have included at least one torba]".

Brian MacDonald, Tribal Rugs Treasures of the Black Tent, pp.50-51; 18.

As with the other bags discussed so far, the torba thus serves both a utilitarian purpose as well as showcasing some of the finest examples of creative artistry emanating from the cultures that produced them.

Shaped by the social and cultural mores of the group that produced them the antique torba offers fascinating and intriguing insights into the individual nomadic society responsible for its design, special symbols and weave.