Traditions of the Folk Craftsmanship of the Kyrgyz

Traditions of Folk Craftsmanship

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The uniqueness of the lifestyle of the Kyrgyz herders determined the nature of their crafts, trades, as well as decorative and applied arts. In domestic production, there was a division of labor into male and female; women mainly engaged in wool processing, creating felt, wool bags, ropes, felt caps, carpets, clothing items, etc. They also created interior decorations for the home, spun, knitted, embroidered, wove cords, fringes, made mats, and so on. In the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan, where cotton was grown, women produced cotton yarn and, on simple looms (ormek), manufactured coarse fabrics from which they sewed robes, shirts, bags, and other items.

The raw materials were usually sourced from their own households. Among the craftswomen, the most skilled and talented stood out; they became professionals, respectfully referred to as "cheber," "ishmer," and were invited to assist other families in preparing for various family celebrations to create wedding dowries, gifts, etc. Often, artisans received orders for the production of patterned fabrics from the customer's materials, carpets, which they frequently made in their own homes. The skills of women's handicrafts were passed down through generations within the family, and only occasionally did artisans demonstrate their skills to other apprentices.

Men were responsible for making household items from hard materials. Masters worked in specific specialties—jewelry making, woodworking, stone, or bone processing. They were respectfully called usta: "kumushusta" (or "zergir") - master of jewelry making, "zhygach usta" - master woodworker. Each was a versatile craftsman in their field. For example, woodworkers not only made the wooden frame of the yurt but also created musical instruments, cradles, wooden plows, various crafts, etc. A metalworking specialist was both a blacksmith and a jeweler and a locksmith. Usta mainly worked on orders, acquiring raw materials themselves or receiving them from customers. There could be only one specialist in a particular field for an entire village or even an entire district. Moving freely with their simple tools, masters set up wherever they could: in a yurt, house, or even outdoors. There were no separate workshops, except for a few primitive forges. They worked individually, with only in blacksmithing and turning production did the master receive help from family members or the customer's family (for blowing the forge, turning the lathe).

Craftsmanship was passed down from father to son, from uncle to nephew. Sometimes training was practiced. Future masters acquired skills by working with a master and assisting him for a certain period.

The division of labor into male and female was not strict; sometimes, for example, widows of jewelers continued their husbands' work. In the southwestern regions of southern Kyrgyzstan, there were male masters who produced felt for sale. Both women and men participated in the processing of hides and leather, making products from them.
In weaving, felt production, and the making of pile carpets, that is, in work requiring the participation of a large number of people, the ancient custom of collective assistance—"ashar"—was widely used. As a token of gratitude for help with work, it was customary for hosts to express their appreciation with generous hospitality, sometimes with modest gifts.

The labor of a craftsman was valued arbitrarily, in most cases low, and the full cost of expenses was not rewarded. Until recently, payment in kind was practiced. Traditionally, the measure of the value of products was a sheep, a lamb, or a certain amount of grain. Later, alongside this, items of factory production (a scarf, shirt, piece of fabric, etc.) as well as money began to be included in the payment.

Ethnography