Kyrgyzstan dress

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There was a "Kyrk koynok" (Forty dresses) ritual, when the first dress for a baby was sewn from 40 pieces of material taken from 40 neighbor yurts. This dress had to help the baby to get the spiritual connection with his tribe. Anyway, making kurak is not only to take and sew together some patches of material. It is an admiring craft of collecting together some different colors, surface textures, forms, and sizes. Being sewn, kurak was sometimes decorated with embroidery. And it produces the sense of admiration when you watch on a thing made "out of nothing". Chiy is a mat made of reed or grass which grows on the steppes. Long reeds are harvested, cut and dried. The reeds are very strong and that is why make mat sturdy and lasting for a long time. When they are joined together with wool of various colours they form a mat which is decorated with many patterns. There are several purposes for Chiy. First kind of the Chiy is called "Chyrmagan kanat chiy". It has a lot of decorations, and can be found in a yurt instead of a wall. Another one is called "Ashkana chiy". It is used to separate the kitchen part from the rest of the yurt. It is also used out of doors to protect the fireplace from or to protect wool which is left to dry. And also Chiy is laid under the thick felt carpets to preserve them from dampness. Chiy mats are used  in the process of shyrdaks and ala-kiyiz making.

 

Welcome to Kyrgyzstan!