Processing of Hides and Skins among the Nomadic Kyrgyz

Processing of Hides and Leathers

Animal hides and the leather made from them were of significant importance in the daily life of the Kyrgyz in the past. They extensively used raw materials from domestic and wild animals (horses, cows, camels, yaks, sheep, and goats, as well as foxes, martens, otters, mountain goats, and roe deer). In addition to meeting the family's needs, a large number of hides were sold.

They were sent to the markets of Central Asia and directed to Russia and Kashgar. From Russia, factory-produced leather, which was of significantly higher quality than the local leather, was imported in return.

Southern Kyrgyz also used hides widely, primarily for the same needs dictated by a nomadic lifestyle, as did northern Kyrgyz, as well as Kazakhs, Bashkirs, and Altaians. Therefore, there are many similarities in the leather and hide items among these peoples.

From sheepskin, Kyrgyz made men's outer coats, hats, belts for elderly women, and wrap-around skirts.

They also used lambskins (korpe) for clothing. Wealthy Kyrgyz used expensive fur. Hats were made from the skins of martens and otters. Strips of fur from these animals were used not only to trim clothing but also to edge embroidered wall carpets.

Goat hides were made into various types of utility bags and bellows for blacksmiths. Hides completely removed from calves, lambs, and kids were used as small pouches (tulup) for storing tea, threads, and toiletries. Larger bags were used to store food products. From calf and foal hides, they made utility bags for wooden dishes and spoons. They also prepared tablecloths for dough preparation (supra) from them.

Hides were widely used as bedding mats. For this, either one hide was used whole, or fur mats were made by sewing together hides of different colors to create patterns of squares and triangles, with a special emphasis on the border. Fur mats, as with northern Kyrgyz, are called koldolyon and postek.

Sheep and goat hides were most widely used due to the sheep farming direction of the economy.

The leather from large livestock was also widely used. It was used for covering saddles, making horse harnesses, and belts. Shoes were also made from it. Camel leather was especially valued for its quality in not allowing water to pass through and retaining heat. It was used to make shoes and prepare dishes. The hide taken from the camel's neck was particularly valued. It was used as a bag (moynok) for storing valuables.

In wealthy families at the end of the last century, men's belts (kemer), horse blankets, harnesses, and cases for storing porcelain bowls during migrations were made from processed leather. All these items were more widely distributed among the Kyrgyz of the eastern part of the region by the end of the 19th century.

In the conditions of nomadic and semi-nomadic economies, there was a mass development of everyday leather utensils. Among them, we note the still existing bags made from hides completely removed from goats. They are used for various purposes: for liquids (kumis, ayran) and for storing various solid food products (bread, meat, dried cheese, flour, and so on). There are differences in the use, naming, and preparation of such bags in the south. For example, Kyrgyz from the Kypchak group (Batken region) sew up the legs and tail cut after processing the removed hide, leaving the neck open. The finished burduk is necessarily smoked. Its main purpose is to store or transport "kumis" and "ayran." It is also used to transport water to the jailoo. They call it mesh.

In the yurt, it always occupies a specific place: near the utility screen where "kumis" is usually kept. The same name, purpose, and method of making the leather bag is found among the northeastern Kazakh Naimans.

The bag for storing solid food products is made somewhat differently: in the hide, which is also removed as a stocking, the legs and neck are sewn up, and the cut remains in the tail section. This bag is not smoked. It is used by Kyrgyz living in the southwestern part of the Osh region and is called chanač. In the yurt, it is always hung on the wall behind the utility partition.

Kyrgyz from the eastern part of the Osh region, as well as from Tien Shan and Issyk-Kul, prepare a bag for "kumis" in exactly the same way as the "mesh," but they call it "chanač."

Leather bags ("mesh" among southwestern Kyrgyz, "chanač" among eastern) began to replace the vessel "saba," which was quite characteristic of the nomadic Kyrgyz way of life. It fell out of use as the preparation of "kumis" decreased.

It should be noted that in the old nomadic lifestyle of southern Kyrgyz, a necessary household item was the vessel for "kumis" made from camel leather (the skin taken from the hump was used). These were widely used among all Kyrgyz, anchor-shaped vessels called kookor, and various forms of buckets called konochok and konek. S. M. Dudin reports on their existence at the beginning of the 20th century among wealthy Alai Kyrgyz. However, in many places, these leather products were displaced from everyday life as people transitioned to settled life and agriculture. This especially applies to ichkiliks, where in many areas they have long ceased to make "kumis." An interesting fact is that where "kumis" production still exists, large clay jugs (hum) of Uzbek craftsmanship have started to be used for storage, which was never customary among Kyrgyz in the past.

In the conditions of nomadic life, all possible animal husbandry raw materials were utilized. From the udder, they sewed vessels in which they kept dairy products, mainly sour cream. Animal fat and melted butter were stored in carefully cleaned stomachs. Intestines were twisted on a spindle to make strings for a homemade musical instrument called komuz. Snuffboxes, powder flasks, and more were made from horn.

Ethnography