Counting stitches of Kyrgyz artisans. The "tersayik" stitch.

Stitch "terskayik"

The technique of execution, i.e., the stitch, is of great importance for the classification of embroidery. Usually, the nature of the stitch, the item being embroidered, the material, and the ornament are closely interconnected. Certain stitches correspond to specific ornaments, which are introduced with the emergence of new techniques, and then, as they are mastered, begin to acquire specific features characteristic of Kyrgyz ornamentation. In our analysis of embroidered items and conversations with the oldest craftswomen, we have identified stitches that have been used in Southern Kyrgyzstan for the past 80 years.

They can be divided into counted, loop, and satin stitches. We will focus on their characteristics, but we should first note that among southern Kyrgyz, it is customary to outline the pattern, using threads of a different color. First, the contours are usually embroidered along pre-drawn lines on the material, and then the field is filled in. The filling is called "tolturma." Certain stitches are used for this purpose, including all loop stitches and some satin stitches. The outlining is most often done with a tambour stitch; in ancient embroideries, one can find a stem stitch, as well as a stitch referred to by craftswomen as "bastyrmash" (analogous to the "basma" stitch, which was widely used in appliqué in the past).

Counted stitches.

Counted stitches include those called "terskayik," "zhvrmv," and "mushkul."

Of particular interest is the stitch "terskayik," which was used by Kyrgyz people in the last century. It was widely spread both in the south and among northern Kyrgyz, although the number of items embroidered with it was quite limited. We know of two types: the women's cap "keptakiya" (the ear parts were embroidered) and the breast inserts-collars (vnur) for women's dresses. The latter were typical for Northern Kyrgyzstan in the past, but according to some data, they were also found in the Uzgen and Soviet districts. They ceased to be worn at the beginning of our century. The caps began to disappear around the 1920s. The most widespread embroidery on caps occurred in the second half of the 19th century.

When embroidering with the "terskayik" stitch, a light handmade fabric (of Uzbek and Kashgar production) was used. The texture of the fabric allowed for counting the threads of the weave in both the warp and weft, which was facilitated by the presence of narrow colored stripes on the fabric. A fairly dense fabric without stripes, known as "böz," was also used.

For the "terskayik" stitch, very thin wool or silk threads were used, with the woolen threads adding elegance and beauty to the embroidery. The color scheme was also of great importance. The main color was red, but not bright, rather significantly muted. The introduction of other colors (black, yellow, white, green) was always limited. The embroidery with the "terskayik" stitch is distinguished by great skill in execution and very high artistic merits. It is so delicate that it creates a complete impression of finely and beautifully crafted silk fabric.

Embroidering with the "terskayik" stitch always begins with contour lines (using black or green threads). These lines divide the entire embroidered area into diamonds or polygons. The field of the pattern is then filled in.

The "terskayik" stitch is embroidered from the back. Hence its name: "ters" means reverse, "kayik" means stitch. On the front side, the stitch forms small, closely adjacent stitches that completely fill the entire embroidered surface. The stitches always go along a diagonal line (ascending or descending) and are arranged parallel to the threads of the fabric, usually encompassing four threads of the weft. Each subsequent stitch is placed above (or below) the previous one by two threads of the weft, i.e., it starts from the middle of the previous one (see Fig. 56, a, b). The filling of the pattern's field is done either in rows parallel to one of the edges of the diamond or in a circular manner. In the latter case, the stitches are arranged along the contours of increasingly smaller diamonds. The back of the embroidery consists of diagonally directed stitches that encompass two threads of the weft for every thread of the warp.

The ornament formed by the "terskayik" stitch is characterized by strict symmetry, determined by the counting of the arranged stitches. The patterns are predominantly geometric in nature. They include diamonds with hook-like or straight branches from the sides and corners, squares, hexagons with geometric figures included within them.

The ornament resembles woven patterns and sharply differs from all other Kyrgyz embroidery motifs (see Fig. 57).

The "terskayik" stitch was known to the Karakalpaks. They used it to embroider the ancient headwear "kameshik," where the pattern of zigzags was common, which is also known to the Kyrgyz (see Fig. 57, n, it was embroidered as a narrow strip at the edges of the ear and forehead parts of the cap). It should be noted that the manner of placing narrow strips with zigzag patterns or parallel lines with hooks (see Fig. 57, m) at the edge of the embroidery executed with the "terskayik" stitch is very characteristic of the Kyrgyz. A similar edging is also noted in the embroideries of the peoples of the Volga region. Overall, in terms of style, pattern characteristics, and the purpose of the embroidery, the "terskayik" stitch has similarities with the embroideries of many peoples of Eastern Europe and Asia.

The "terskayik" stitch is currently forgotten, as are the items on which it was used. Modern craftswomen are unfamiliar with it. Only elderly embroiderers (80-90 years old) who have already lost the ability to embroider, especially with this fine counted stitch, know about it. According to many reports, there were few craftswomen who mastered this stitch in the past.

With the loss of the stitch, the main accompanying diamond-shaped ornament also disappeared, leaving no traces in the embroidery art of the Kyrgyz people. This indicates the temporary existence of the "terskayik" stitch among the Kyrgyz. However, determining this time based on the data we have is currently not possible.

The "terskayik" stitch undoubtedly belongs to archaic forms of embroidery. This is evidenced not only by its general Kyrgyz mastery, execution technique, but also by the diamond pattern, which is one of the oldest in Chinese ornamentation. In Kyrgyz embroidery with the "terskayik" stitch, similarities can be traced with the embroideries and fabrics of the peoples of China.

Craftswomen of Kyrgyzstan in embroidery