HANDICRAFTS

KYRGYZ TRADITIONAL ART

Originality of Kyrgyz culture in general was predetermined by nomadic life. Harmonical coexistence with nature, the character of nomad’s life gave the possibility for deepest contemplation, the special disposition in which formed the own values and aesthetic perception. The mode was surrounded by things  made by old technology which was passed on from one generation to another.

The Kyrgyz national art absorbed the whole rich art heritage of it’s nation. In trilogy of epos “Manas”is mentioned about craftsmen , of their know-how in treatment of leather,  embroider and decoration of amours and ect.

The role of domestic trade and handicrafts was determined by utilitarian purpose. The articles of craftsmen pleased the needs of mode. at the beginning it was change of articles, than some of them started to sell and also some of them were made to order.

In making articles of domestic utility and decoration widely were used the products of cattle: wool, fell, horns. The production of surrounded vegetable kingdom such as: trees, bushes, roots, leaves, chi served as material  for creation of national craftsmen. The sap of different plants was used as dye  and the medical nature of this sap was also taken into account. On external markets craftsmen bought silver, cornelian,corals,tirquoise. On such not numerals materials was based the variety of national art: weaving, embroidery, mosaic, appliqué, stamping on skin, making mats, jewelry,   fretwork on wood and bones incrustation.

The technique of home made production based on manual labor with using primitive tools was under productive and required a lot of expenditures and power. The production of articles of house utensils, decoration were made  in spare time. But the love of craftsmen to their pursuit, the grate wish not just to decorate the surrounded articles, but to give them the sacred sense allowed to create  traditional handicrafts marked by originality of national coloring

To Kyrgyz traditional art is peculiar the strict observance of canons, the methods in each handicrafts. But using of less means helps to reach the biggest art expressiveness. The most striking fact is that national artist haven’t stencils, they reproduce their unique works of arts by memory, by eye; thanks to the developed figurative thinking, the sense of measure and harmony.

Ornamental and colorful decoration is integral part of creative searches of artists. Each created thing is decorated by ornament, which is filled by semantic meaning, sacramenting the surrounded world.

In embroidery is dominated the flexible and dynamic vegetable kingdom; in jeweler’s art or in weaving  the shape of ornament more steady, strict and clear in configurations, variations and rhythm.

Usually the shapes of ornament reflect the animal’s and vegetable’s kingdom, the articles of nomadic mode. The more characteristic features are muyuz-the motive of stylized sheep’s horn in a form of spiral or curl; kyal-whimsical pattern in abase of which lies the twisting line with rhythmic branching by both sides; carga tyrmak (the claws of raven)-the pattern consisted of three ledges and one foundation, it’s contour reminds the trefoil.

The varied and picturesque nature of Kyrgyzstan is inexhaustible spring of inspiration for national artists.

The symbol and peculiar sign of Kyrgyz history  is yurta. It is comfortable, perfect by it’s construction and function transfer dwelling-Boz ui. By it’s commensurate to man’ proportions it’s organically blend with landscape, showing the model of unity of nature and man’s dwelling.

The spherical shape of yurta is stylized and repeats the vault of heaving.

Yurta is very warm in winter and protects from hit in summer is adapted to react on life rhythm of nature, easily changing the system of ventilation and lighting depending on changing of seasons, day and night.

By it’s architecture, decoration yurta is very function  and perfect.  And each thing in it is inspired by hands of seamstresses and authentic expressive.

One of the ancient wide used material which usually used was thick felt. From this material they made covering for yurta , horse-cloth under saddle carpets-shyrdac, alakiizy, different bags for keeping clothes, dishes-tekche, ayakkak, bashtyk and ect.

Owing to it’s particular quality-supporting warm and water resistance it is perfect material in  nomad’s condition of life.

The flexible  property of thick felt allowed to create original arts principles, in which organically   built the system of Kyrgyz national pattern. In thick felt was used the technique of appliqué, embroidery, art fasten.

Cyi-it is  Kyrgyz ornamental patterned  mats, which  decorated and protect the walls of yurta from wind. In interior it’s divided the man’s and woman’s   parts of yurta. From this material was made suspended shelves, and dish –case.

Weaving took the great place  among the house-made trade. There four kinds of pattern material-terme,kadjary, beshkeshte, and in a stripe. For each of them is typical it’s own ornaments, colors and compositions.

Patterned weaving is especially developed on a south of Kyrgyzstan.  In this technique from sheep and camels’ wool was made carpets, terigich- outward set off the top of yurta and the mass of utilitarian things.

Embroidery –one of the ancient and favorite kind of art of Kyrgyz embroides .By it was decorated clothes, mode things, hors-cloth. They embroidered on thick felt, leather, using different ways of art sewing.

Embroidery of tushkizes, wall’s carpets is one of model of national sewing art.  Real concrete shapes of nature break into symbol, signs. But more often  the pattern in embroidery independed from technology and in it the embroires willfully shows the own original art.

Art leather treatment it is stamping, giving the decorative form to vessel. From leather were made dishes- kookor, kumara, small trunks, sewed and embroidered clothes.

Art wood –work also has it’s own peculiarities. It is deep carving with tincturing and combination  of wood with carved bone, nacre. In such way decorated  komuzs, kayaks. From wood was made thin-walled vessels-choichok, ayak, tabak. Carving doors, saddles,  chests, small trunks, contained the variants of ornament of “sheep horn” and geometrical motives.

Jewelry was the man thing in a suit. It was leather  man’s belt decorated by silver plates, buttons, women’s adornments, women’s belts, brooches, earrings,  bracelets, rings. The way of art treatment of metal were different. Their were used engraving, drawing, open-worked and laid on filigree, plated silver when in base was taken iron. They combined metal with enamel from grounded glass, with precious stones-turquoise, corals.

Today we can tell with confidence that the base forms and compositional principles of traditional handicraft art in which were contained the originality of art self-expression of Kyrgyz nation, has hardly changed from previsions centuries.