Silkme Telpek

The looks of the hat, common among semi-nomadic cattle breeding peoples of Central Asia, is significantly different from those of strict astrakhan samples that can be seen in the Caucasus and Turkey. The Turkmen shepherds’ telpek hat is made ​​of long black hair on the soft leather base, so it is easy to change its shape; it can be folded, and tucked under the belt. Our sample pertains to the mid 20th century and apparently comes from the northern part of Afghanistan or southern Turkmenistan,, although it was bought on the Istanbul bazaar. Turkmenistan, 20th cent.