Postcard from Bishkek

The second Sunday in October is another of the professional holidays that are a feature of the calendar here in Kyrgyzstan … it’s National Crafts Day. One of the aspects of traditional Kyrgyz crafts was the manufacture of jewelry both in precious metals and stones (for example, corals and turquoise) .  Unlike most of the traditional crafts […]

A few years ago I was given a picture as a birthday present.  It was a picture made from an arrangement of dried and pressed flowers, grasses and leaves. The idea was that I might hang in my new apartment, into which I had recently moved.  It was also an interesting way to present me […]

Embroidery, saima, was a very popular and widespread craft – practiced by women of all ages – from the very young to the very old – and was more individualistic than some of the other traditional crafts, because it didn’t require a collective effort. Perhaps the best known examples of saima are Tush Kiyiz, (pronounced “toosh […]

  The jewellery of ancient Central Asia often made use of coins … It was thought that they had magical characteristics in that they were round, (which is a mark of the Sun, which was considered to bring good luck and success in everyday affairs), and that they were often made of silver (which, according to […]

Although  it does not necessarily leap into the mind when thinking about Kyrgyz handicrafts weaving has long been an important skill in nomadic Kyrgyz culture, and used to play an important role in nomadic life In fact it was a widely practised craft and most women would have some skill in producing woollen fabrics, (taar), […]

The custom of wearing earrings is found in many diverse cultures; according to the Chandos portrait William Shakespeare sported one and it is said that Pirates used to wear Golden earrings in order to have the wherewithal in order to pay for their funeral when they died. According to epic poem “Manas”, Kirghiz men wore earrings (Iymek, […]

In ancient times, the breast was considered a receptacle of the human soul, and should be protected with the greatest zeal and so amulets and talismans were hung over them, to be closer to heart – “the home of soul” – in order to protect the person from influence of malicious spirits. Amulets are found in many […]

 Chiy is made from a kind of reed, or grass, which grows on the steppes and for years the long reeds have been harvested – cut and dried.   The grass was long used as winter fodder for animals and stems were gathered from end of summer.  Although the livestock would happily munch away at […]

The Kyrgyz, being nomads, tended to be self sufficient in most aspects of life and carry with them all that they needed.  When it came to crafts, although everyone may have their own specialties, each person tended to be a “jack of all trades”, able to work in several media: wool, wood, ceramics, and leather.  A […]

A few years ago, atourist left a book for me that he had finished reading: The Carpet Wars by Christopher Kremmer. Although I was grateful, books in English are quite rare and so are like gold dust here, I wasn’t too sure if I was going to enjoy it.  It’s quite a tome, over 450 […]