Choice and quality
These are indeed the two axes that define Uzbek craftsmanship. The Uzbeks work with all the wealth produced by the country or in transit through the country, and have been able to preserve over the centuries traditional motifs, methods and techniques which, most of the time, are transmitted from father to son within family lines having chosen the culture and the know-how, whether it be tapestry, cutlery, embroidery or illuminations and miniatures. But this is a fact that does not apply to the whole country, and which for years was not necessarily visible to the traveller, who was content to buy the finished products in the shops, without suspecting the treasures of inventiveness that it took to preserve and transmit this know-how during the Soviet period. Today, in Ferghana, Gijduvan and Bukhara, craftsmen are established, opening schools, training apprentices and welcoming tourists in master classes that allow everyone to discover all the treasures of Uzbek culture.
On the jewelry side
The khan's wives could be repudiated at any time, and so, like the nomads, they carried their wealth with them: several dresses and cloaks strung together, but also their jewelry, which was supposed to protect them. Bracelets, earrings, tiaras and pectorals were made of chased silver, gilded with fine gold and inlaid with semi-precious stones such as carnelian, turquoise, coral, or even pearls and rubies. The brides were covered with jewels, like in the tales! Diadem covering the silk headdress, itself decorated with pendants, bracelets, large earrings, nose rings, necklace, amulets and pectoral. A famous riddle in Central Asia: "Who is the most beautiful bride? The one who cannot move alone, because she is too loaded with jewelry. Today, unfortunately, goldsmithing is not the best part of Uzbek handicraft. There are a few antiques but you have to know about them and have a good eye to avoid being sold junk.
Ceramic
Under the Timurids, the art of ceramics reached its peak. During his conquests, Tamerlane spared the best craftsmen and brought them back to Samarkand, where they joined the ranks of the builders. The necropolis of Shah-i-Zinda, in Samarkand, is the most striking illustration of the skills and innovations of these craftsmen: polychrome glazed tiles, painted motifs on or under the glaze, mosaics of fine pieces of glazed ceramic cut with a chisel, or molded, sculpted and glazed terracotta. The secrets of manufacture and glaze were transmitted from father to son, each region having its own colors and patterns.
Ikate silk
In the bazaars of Central Asia, ikate silks are gradually being replaced by poor synthetic imitations imported from China. In the last century, becassab and khan-atlas from the Ferghana Valley, Samarkand and Bukhara were among the most prized goods of Russian merchants. After the revolution and the arrival of the Bolsheviks to power, "liberated" women and craftsmen were more useful in the cotton fields than at the looms. This craft was therefore banned, and the ancestral techniques were almost lost. It was not until the 1950s that the Soviets revived industrial silk production in the Ferghana Valley. Today, there are again artisanal factories (including that of Yodgorlik, in Marguilan, and tim Abdullah khan in Bukhara) which use traditional manufacturing techniques and sell their production. The fabrics are woven by hand, the warp threads are colored in a stylized floral pattern obtained by reserving ligatures before weaving. The motifs of the khan-atlas are inspired by ancestral symbols, both geometric and floral, supposed to protect against the evil eye: tulips, pepper, poppies, butterflies, peacock's tails or scorpions.
A legend tells the origin of these ikate fabrics. A young man wanted to marry a young princess. But the khan, father of the princess, had promised her in marriage to the one who would be able to make the most beautiful dress. Day and night, the young man wove, the silks he proposed to the khan were more beautiful than the others, but each time the khan refused them. Then, in despair, he went to the shores of a large lake and tried to drown himself. The blood that flowed from his fingers, worn out from weaving, mixed with the water of the lake, the reflection of the trees and the blue of the sky. These colors blended so harmoniously that he decided to reproduce them on his loom. The khan, amazed by the beauty of the fabric, gave him his daughter in marriage.
Suzanis and Gulkurpas
Women spent years embroidering huge panels of fabric. They would work in long strips and then stitch them together. The most common embroidery stitches were bosma (satin stitch), yurma (chain stitch),iroki (cross stitch) and khamdouzi (double satin stitch). Originally, suzani and gulkurpa were intended to cover the bed of the newlyweds, essential pieces of the dowry that the woman brought to her marriage. Later, they were used as wall panels. The symbols represented varied according to the region, but always had a protective role. On the bedspreads of the newlyweds, the tree of life was often represented accompanied by a rooster. The tree was a symbol of fertility, and the rooster was a harbinger of the sun, the end of darkness, and a repellent to evil spirits. Another symbol is frequently found in the oi-paliak: the circle, the Zoroastrian symbol of the universe, inscribed in a rectangle. As for the ikate fabrics, one finds in the embroidered panels a whole stylized bestiary of animals protecting against the evil eye: snakes, scorpions, frogs... The museum of the Sitora-i-Mokhi-Khosa palace, near Bukhara, has an important collection of suzani and gulkurpa , some of which are real masterpieces.
The carpets
Generally, carpets bear the name of their place of origin, but often also of their place of sale. This is the case of Bukhara carpets, which were sold in the bazaar, but generally came from Turkmen tribes. Bukhara was indeed one of the largest carpet selling centers in Central Asia. Carpet making was reserved for women and girls. The techniques were transmitted from mother to daughter. A child learned to weave from the age of 8, and it was considered that 25 years of experience were needed to become an accomplished weaver.
The color red, symbol of fertility and prosperity, was the most used, not only for its symbolic value, but also because madder, a natural dye, grows in abundance in Central Asia. The decoration was composed of a central field, usually with medallions, and borders. The oldest carpets never had more than three borders, but in the 19th century, the carpets could have up to 12. The quality of the carpets declined at the end of the 19th century with the introduction of aniline dyes and the increase in tightness obtained by packing the weft and pile, rather than using finer threads. The carpets thus lost the richness of natural colors and their flexibility. As nomads became sedentary and agricultural, production decreased and family traditions were lost, and symbolic motifs were gradually replaced by purely decorative ones.
The miniatures
In Islamic art, the term "miniature" is reserved for figurative illustrations and "illumination" for abstract decorations, which are specific to religious representations. Miniatures only developed in the context of scientific work, particularly from the early 13th century onwards. In Uzbekistan, the Timurid era (1369-1507) saw the development of an important literary tradition in Bukhara and Samarkand. Tamerlan had deported the best artists from Baghdad to his capital Samarkand. His first descendants appreciated and supported painting and calligraphy. During the reign of Ulugh Beg (1409-1449), several important manuscripts were commissioned, including an astronomical treatise by Al-Sufi, the Book of Fixed Stars (c. 1437), with symbolic representations of the constellations. However, the astronomer prince's fabulous library was destroyed just after his death and the vast majority of the books kept there were burnt. It was not until the advent of the Chaybanid dynasty in 1507 that a revival took place. Mohammad Shaybani, patron, protector of the arts and a poet capable of composing in Turkish and Persian, rebuilt an important library at the court of Samarkand. But it was in Bukhara, his capital, that he brought together the best artists and calligraphers of his time, all from Herat, such as the calligrapher Mir Ali or the painter Sheikhzadeh, one of the best pupils of Behzad, the great master of that time who inspired a style of Persian miniature. Even today, the tradition of miniatures is still very widespread in Uzbekistan, and you will meet many talented craftsmen in cities like Bukhara or Samarkand.
A few tips before you check out
Before going on a shopping spree, keep in mind that Uzbeks have been traders for 5,000 years, and that you will have to take this into account during your negotiation... In Bukhara, generally speaking, buying souvenirs or handicrafts remains possible. But scams are also legion and one can't count the number of stores selling "Bukhara carpets" made in Iran in the best case, in China or India in the worst case, fake jewels, fake souvenirs from the Soviet era, allergenic synthetic products sold as natural products..
Take it easy, don't be pushed into buying, take the time to compare, to enter different stores and to check as much as possible the quality and the origin of the products. The best way to encourage local artisans is certainly not to endorse pale imitations, or even scams, while enjoying yourself. If you can't afford to buy carpets or miniatures that can sometimes cost hundreds or even thousands of euros, you should know that many craftsmen have apprentices who also sell their work for much more attractive prices, as they have not yet reached the perfection of the master.
