The felt carpet is a world of colorful mosaics, exotic ornamentation, and stunning patterns that evoke bleeding watercolors. Working with felt is an ancient traditional craft of the Kazakh people, dating to the times when they practiced a nomadic way of life. In this story, we’d like to tell you about a woman who has been working all her life to preserve the secrets of her people’s craftspeople and to pass on her knowledge to future generations.
Zhansara Bolegenova, who lives in Kyzylorda Province, is one of the most famous felt masters in Kazakhstan.
This material was prepared within the framework of the project "Silk Road Heritage Corridors in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Iran - International Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage", implemented by UNESCO with financial support from the European Union
Central Asian craft, felt.
Thousands of years ago, pastoralists noticed that wool had an amazing property.
When treated with hot water and steam, it gets tangled and sticks together.
The result is a dense fabric that's incredibly useful for people's everyday lives.
It keeps you warm in the cold and cool in the heat, while protecting you from the wind.
Felt was used to make everything from shoes to clothes,
from carpets to the walls of the yurts themselves.
The people who made these products have always been treated with reverence and respect.
One of the most famous practitioners of this craft in Kazakhstan is Zhansara Boligenova,
who lives in the province of Kizlorda and has been honing her skills for several decades.
Since 2011, I've been using a modern method for working with felt, using soap.
That's how I make shoes and slippers.
Everything else, especially carpets, is done using traditional techniques.
This ball I made using a new method.
It can be used as a toy or for giving a massage.
It's widely known that felt has a positive effect on human health.
Zhansara started working back in 1974.
She was taught the craft by her mother, who also worked with wool all her life.
The process of making felt begins when sheep's wool is sheared and beaten with special sticks.
After it attains a uniform consistency, it's laid out in a thin layer.
A pattern of differently colored wool is placed on top.
The layers are carefully poured with hot water and wrapped up into a roll.
To make a rug strong, it has to be thoroughly pressed together.
My biggest dream is to open a training center where I could teach everyone to work with felt.
I want to pass on my knowledge to future generations.
This is my goal for the coming years.
Today, felt has a wide variety of uses.
And, of course, it's long been in wide use.
But in spite of everything, it's a traditional craft that continued to live.
It comes to life in the hands of a craftswoman whose work embodies an age-old legacy.
And most important of all, Zhansara is trying to pass on her experience
to anyone who's interested in Kazakh traditions.
I was able to present my work at Expo in 2017.
I met so many foreigners there who know a lot and highly value natural felt.
In countries abroad, there's now a huge demand for products made from felt.
Therefore, I opened my own small business and continue to work on my favorite craft.
My greatest wish is for this tradition to be passed down from generation to generation.
