A Living Tradition of the Steppe
Artisans in Kyrgyzstan keep felt culture alive by using felt in traditional yurt construction, rugs, clothing, and decorative items.
Felt culture, which has been an integral part of both daily life and the spiritual world of the Kyrgyz for centuries, retains its popularity.
Felt, one of the basic materials of nomadic life, provides protection against the hardships of steppe life with its durability, warmth, and portability, while also reflecting the artistic and cultural identity of the Kyrgyz.
Today, felt is widely used in Kyrgyzstan, where more than 3,000 artisans are active, from traditional yurt construction to rugs such as “shyrdak” and “ala-kiyiz,” and from clothing to everyday items.
How Felt Is Made
The process of making felt from sheep’s wool is known to be the most difficult part of the job. After shearing the sheep, the wool is cleaned, combed or carded, and laid out in layers on the ground, with patterns created in different colors as desired.
Soapy water sprinkled on the spread wool causes the fibers to bond together. The wool, rolled up with a cloth, is compacted for hours by trampling with feet, hands, or stones. Under the effect of pressure, water, and heat, the wool bonds together and turns into a dense felt layer. The felt, prepared with appliqué patterns on it, can be enriched with embroidery.
Kyrgyz felt patterns consist of symbols such as ram horns, goat horns, bird wings, dog tails, amulets that protect against the evil eye, waterways, and flowers. Felt items are sold at the Osh Market in the capital Bishkek, in shopping malls, and in other stores.
“Felt Is an Integral Part of the Kyrgyz People”
Mukara Satarkulova, a master of handicrafts at the “Kiyal” National Handicrafts Union under the Kyrgyzstan Presidential Administration, has been making felt items for 37 years.
Satarkulova explains that she spent 20 years transferring traditional patterns onto felt using embroidery techniques, adding, “Now we work with machines. I make wall panels from felt. In my work, I focus on Kyrgyz patterns and Saymalı Taş rock paintings. For example, I made a picture of a mountain goat here. We used to do the embroidery by hand. Embroidering this picture used to take us half a day, but now I did it quickly with the machine. Our work has become easier,” she said.
Satarkulova, who said that items used in daily life, especially Kyrgyz yurts, used to be made of felt, said, “The Kyrgyz produced felt from sheep’s wool. They used felt in the clothes they wore and the yurts they lived in. Felt is an integral part of the Kyrgyz people,” she said.
Satarkulova pointed out that felt also makes an important contribution to Kyrgyz culture and is still widely used today.
Satarkulova said that felt items are also of great interest to foreigners, adding, “Foreigners who come to Kyrgyzstan always buy felt rugs. They ask for high-quality felt, saying they will lay it in their homes,” she said.
Satarkulova touched on the difficulties of felt making, saying, “The hardest part is felting the wool and dyeing the felt. You have to work with water and heat. The part where you embroider patterns on the ready felt is easy,” she noted.
Felt master Ishenbubu Alamanova has been making felt items for about 30 years. Alamanova said that Kyrgyz people used to be nomads, so they wore felt clothes and made tents and carpets from felt.
Saying that felt has become popular again today, Alamanova said, “Felt has started to be used more often. We make scarves and hats from felt. Even car seat covers are now made from felt. Every Kyrgyz family has felt in their home,” she said.
Alamanova drew attention to felt’s heat insulation properties, saying, “This hat keeps out the cold in winter and the heat in summer. It is very suitable for the head and looks beautiful,” she said.
Emphasizing the international community’s interest in felt items, Alamanova said that the association, which brings together artisans from seven regions of her country, organizes events for patterned felt rugs called “Shyrdak” and participates in local and international exhibitions and fairs.
Pointing out that young artists are also interested in felt, Alamanova said, “Once upon a time, handicrafts were lagging behind, but now they are developing rapidly. Our young people are very interested in them. They are both keeping alive the felt culture left by our fathers and earning a living,” she said.
Craftswoman Jyldyz Ashimkyzy, 35, has been making clothing and decorative items from felt for eight years and sells her products at the Osh Market.
Ashimkyzy, who turned her childhood curiosity about the felt rugs her grandmother made into a profession, said, “I used to help my grandmother make felt rugs. After I grew up, I continued this work and have been making felt items for 8 years,” she said.
Ashimkyzy said that felt art has retained its relevance and value, noting that their duty as artisans is to pass on the felt art left by their fathers to future generations. Explaining that she makes the patterns she applies to felt items suitable for modern life, Ashimkyzy said, “I focus more on traditional patterns in my work. Each pattern has a meaning. Most of the patterns I make on felt panels are related to unity and togetherness in the family. If you look at this wall panel, you won’t see four or three corners, they are all round. People don’t stay in one place; they grow and develop like trees. That’s why I named this work ‘Tree,’” she said.
Ashimkyzy added that they print portraits of famous people such as the characters Manas and his wife Kanıkey from the Manas Epic, as well as the great writer Cengiz Aytmatov and statesman İshak Razzakov, on felt, and create felt paintings reflecting the historical and tourist sites of Kyrgyzstan.