Decorative and Applied Art of the Kyrgyz People

A man-made wonder — fantasy and fiction? Yes. But also reality! This is how the art of ancient nomads is described, characterized as mythological in content and realistic in form. Among all forms of art, decorative and applied art is endowed with these traits to the greatest extent.

In the mid-19th century, the Russian traveler Levshin, upon first arriving in the steppe, was struck by the grandeur and tranquility of the vast space before him. Gazing into the boundless distance of the blooming steppe, where a caravan was heading, he asked, “Why do you migrate?” The nomads replied, “A man must move because the sun (moon, stars, animals, fish — everything moves, only the earth and the dead remain in place).”

The conditions of nomadic life not only encouraged rationality but also artistic reflection on the constant “companions” of their existence. Wool, leather, and animal hides — the most ordinary materials — were used. Yet the surrounding matter was shaped according to the laws of beauty — hence the dazzling splendor of the decorations of horses and riders, the beauty and luxury of yurts, and the decorative quality of utensils.

At first glance, the traditional dwelling of the nomads, which Europeans simply call a yurt, may seem unremarkable and even primitive. It consists of a wooden frame and a felt cover. However, centuries of use and established traditions have made the yurt remarkably rational. In it, the nomad found protection from both the summer heat and the rain and winter frosts. Almost everything is made from livestock products: dense felt from sheep's wool, thick and soft felt carpets that allow one to sleep directly on the floor; much of the utensils and necessary household items, as well as clothing and footwear, are made from animal skins. Much has changed in the life of our contemporaries, but the foundation remains the same: a movable frame and felt as a covering. The yurt is still indispensable in the lives of shepherds. The constant migration from one pasture to another still requires light and mobile housing. After all, assembling or disassembling a yurt takes no more than an hour. They even set up yurts in wooded areas in open sunny spaces. The door always faces south or southeast. The ancient nomad kept track of the time of day, month, and year by the sun, more precisely, by the angle of the sunlight through the upper opening of the yurt — the chimney. The interior space of the yurt, which has a unified interior, is clearly divided into functional zones. The “red corner” of the home is directly opposite the entrance, where chests containing the family’s main valuables are located, along with blankets stacked in a pile. The center of the yurt is occupied by the hearth and table. The right side of the yurt is the women’s half, where all the household items, dishes, and children’s things are kept. The left side from the entrance represents the men’s half, where bridles, saddles, and other riding equipment are found.

The Chinese poet of the 7th century, Bo-Juiyi, dedicated an ode to the nomadic dwelling titled “The Blue Yurt”:

The yurt cannot be shaken by the whirlwind,
Its breast is harder than rain,
There are no corners or walls,
But inside it is cozy and warm...
Felt against frost — a wall,
The snow’s veil is not feared,
There lie the satin furs,
Covering the strings of singing rows...

Translation by Gumilev

This is just a fragment of a potentially fascinating narrative about the yurt. Indeed, it can be continued almost endlessly. One could talk about how the “architecture” of the yurt laid the foundation or, more precisely, underlies the development of monumental architectural structures in the East and Asia. About how diverse and rational the traditional clothing of the nomad is: kementai and beldemchi, ichigi and kushai, charyk, kalpak, kyurmo, malakhai, chepken, tebetey, chapan, chokoi, cholpu, elechek, and others. One could discuss the development of ornamental motifs, based on graphic representations of fantastic beings, stylized figures, and symbolic signs that have survived since the times of worship of the forces of nature — the sun, water, thunder, lightning, etc.



About how the worship of the forces of nature in the early stages of nomadic society found reflection in the symbolism of the so-called landscape ornament, characterized by the depiction of clouds, lightning; fire, water, symbolizing space, invincibility, flourishing, boundlessness. Finally, about the symbolism of geometric and zoomorphic ornaments in clothing and household utensils, about color symbolism, where the five main colors of the spectrum — five desires, five senses — symbolize eternity and fidelity, purity, holiness, wealth, joy, victory, darkness, etc.

And what a continuity of generations! Skills and knowledge are passed down strictly by inheritance. It is no coincidence that the composition and symbolism of masterpieces of decorative and applied art, between which a temporal gap of a thousand years exists, are identical. This means that each new generation of nomads uses the same forms that, it would seem, should have been forgotten, but nevertheless they were revived and flourished.

The decorative and applied art of the Kyrgyz people, created over centuries, is original, diverse, and possesses the main distinguishing feature — the combination of practical, utilitarian value and rich artistic design of objects. The main means of representation are color and ornament. Each type of applied art has its own special patterns and motifs that reflect the surrounding animal and plant world.

Kyrgyz artisans have achieved great mastery in the production of patterned felt carpets — shirdaks (in the mosaic technique) and ala-kiyizs (by rolling in colored patterns). Contrasting colors are used, with red predominating, the colors of the felts are harmonious and cheerful, and the alternation of background and pattern leads to compositional balance.

Original chiy mats hold high artistic value. They are created by braiding each individual stem with colored wool, and each is a complete ornamental composition.

Textile products — patterned boo — are in high demand among tourists. In the production of various souvenir items — from wallets and cases to clothing and footwear — national embroidery is used. In the historical museum, in the Kyrgyz State Museum of Fine Arts, you can see ancient examples of this embroidery with wool on hand-woven materials, leather, felt, and suede, as well as more recent examples on velvet and cloth. Kyrgyz craftswomen have a vast array of technical techniques and ornamental motifs in national embroidery.



The ancient technique has been preserved to this day by folk jewelers. The bracelets, rings, earrings, hair ornaments, and headpieces they create can satisfy the most discerning tastes. There is a variety of wooden bowls, dishes, vessels, chess boards, which reveal the natural patterns of the textures of black birch, juniper, poplar, and wild cherry roots. The relief and contour carving and painting on chests, boxes, stands, and cases are elegant.

Today, folk artisans work in associations of folk arts and crafts. Many of them work from home, staying connected to their roots, and supply their remarkable products to stores. Today, every universal store in Kyrgyzstan has souvenir departments. Products from folk artisans can also be purchased in art salons, specialized shops, and kiosks.

Guides will tell you about the ornamental traditional motifs that have survived to this day. Even the simplest curl — the motif of a stylized ram's horn, can be represented in the form of kochkor muyu, koch-korok, synar muyu, kaykalak. And there are also traditions of the motifs kyial, karga tyrmak, it kuirok, toguz dyobyo, and many others. Well, and probably, there is no visitor who would not want to take home the most distinctive souvenir — the national headwear ak-kalpak, which resembles the white relief of the Tian Shan peaks in shape. Tourists with more refined tastes may be attracted to national musical instruments, komuz and temir-komuz, which are also made by folk artisans and sold in souvenir shops.

It is expected that the network of such shops will expand in the future, just as the network of souvenir workshops will expand — each region of the republic will have its own workshop.