The Process of Sheepskin Tanning

Tanning sheepskin with ayran. Mid-19th century. The photograph is kept in the State Museum

The Kyrgyz were skilled in processing animal hides. The process of tanning sheepskin was as follows. First, the remnants of fat and muscle tissue were carefully removed from the skin with a knife. After that, the sheepskin was soaked from the inside with sour milk (whole, not skimmed) — ayran mixed with salt, rolled up, and left in this state for 4-5 days. Then the skin was taken out into the sun for a while; when the ayran dried, it was replenished — and this continued until the skin became white, elastic, and soft. After that, using a mangal — a sickle or a piece of a scythe, the dried ayran, remnants of fat, and muscle tissue were removed from the skin. To make the skin softer, it was folded "accordion-style" and kneaded by hand or foot. When the tery — the skin became completely soft, it was whitened with chalk. From such skins, the famous ak ton — white fur coats were sewn, which kept a person warm in both blizzards and severe frosts. If the fur coat became soiled (approximately after a year or a year and a half), it was dyed using extracts from plants containing tannins.