Ala kiyiz (, ) or tekemet (, ) is an ornamenting style for

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

floor- or wallcovering made by pressing wet, soaped

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

of various colours together to make it

felt Felt is a textile that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic fiber, acrylic or acrylonitrile or ...

. The chemical process of felting transforms the loose woolen fibers into a thick cloth. The felt carpet-making technique is a traditional

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative art, decorative. The makers of folk art a ...

among the nomadic farming Kazakh, Kyrgyz and

Mongolian Mongolian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia * Mongolian people, or Mongols * Bogd Khanate of Mongolia, the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924 * Mongolian language * Mongolian alphabet * ...

peoples of the

Tien Shan mountains The Tian Shan, also known as the Tengri Tagh or Tengir-Too, meaning the "Mountains of God/Heaven", is a large system of mountain ranges in Central Asia. The highest peak is Jengish Chokusu at high and located in Kyrgyzstan. Its lowest point is ...

and the steppes in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

for over two and a half thousand years. From the various methods of ornamenting, ala kiyiz is among the widest spread, with

shyrdak A shyrdak (, ) or syrmak (, ) is a stitched, and often colourful felt floor and wallcovering, usually handmade in Central Asia. Kazakhs and Kyrgyz people alike traditionally make shyrdaks, and most especially in Kyrgyzstan the tradition is kept a ...

. The motley felts traditionally were made from local sheep’s wool of autumn shearing. The carpets are a component of the insulation and decoration of the

yurt A yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger (Mongolian language, Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered and Thermal insulation, insulated with Hide (skin), skins or felt and traditionally used as a dwelling by several distinct Nomad, nomad ...

or ger, a movable round tent that is the nomadic dwelling throughout Central Asia. In 2012, Kyrgyz felt carpets ala-kiyiz and shyrdak were inscribed into the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in need of urgent protection.

History

The history of felt production in

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

can be traced to the end of

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

when sheep, goat and horse herding were common activities of

nomadic Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...

farmers of the region. During the early Iron Age nomadic culture acquired its specific character, producing mobile tents covered with felt, weaponry, horse harnesses, specific clothing and items made of felt, hide and wood. In burial mounds of the

Altai Mountains The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central Asia, Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The ...

, Eastern Kazakhstan and

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

, many items were discovered, from farming tools to weaponry and household items. including felt carpets that utilized mosaic, applique and quilting techniques, demonstrating a rich aesthetic and high level of skill.

Manufacturing

The first step is shearing the sheep, than the raw fleeces have to be washed, sorted by quality and color and dyed. The loose wool fiber is placed on a sedge mat ''chij'' or ''chiy'' and whipped for several hours with a stick to make it fluffy. Than the patterns are being laid out, the resulting wool mat can be several inches thick. After that the wool is rinsed with hot water and soap, tapped by hand, rolled in the chij, stringed around it and taken to an open space to be rolled, kicked and trodden for several hours. Another technique is to have the rolled up reed mat being towed by a horse, heating and meshing the wool inside. This melds the wool together into a friable carpet. The mat is then unwound and the resulting felt left to dry. After this usually no stitching or other work is done. A rug that has been worn out, can be used as the back of a new rug.

Patterns

Ala kiyiz patterns are made by the technique of tipping coloured wool into a one-colour background, mostly grey, brown or black. Ornaments consist of geometrical, botanical and zoomorphic motifs, visualising good wishes or blessing of the makers to a daughter who gets married, to children or grandchildren. Geometrical motifs consist of ovals or diamonds (''tabak oyuu''), straight, zigzag and wavy lines, these are among the most ancient. Zoomorphic motifs are, among others, the ''muyuz'' (horn), ''syngan muyuz'' (broken horn), ''karga tyrmak'' (crow’s claw) and ''it kuiruk'' (''dog’s tail'')''.'' They signify prosperity, wealth and are considered to be protection symbols. There is one master, ''Ormokchu, or'' the good hand at felt, who creates the message the ornaments of the ala kiyiz will tell, outlines the pattern and oversees the process.

References

Ethnic Kyrgyz culture Culture of Kazakhstan Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding {{textile-stub

History

Manufacturing

Patterns

See also

References