Tent pole bag, okbash

Bags used to cover tent pole ends, made of felted wool, horse hair and cotton are manufactured by Uzbek nomads across Central Asia. Used in pairs, they are embroidered and embellished with horse hair tassels and woven straps. Made for the bridal dowry, these bags were utilitarian objects of high symbolic value. Commonly decorated with patterns that celebrate fertility or provide protection such as ram’s horns and celestial motifs, the okbash are an essential item in nomadic life.