Today, when, for a number of historical reasons, the material material continuity of generations of people has been brutally interrupted, people rarely perceive the national Kalmyk ornament as something everyday. But before, such a pattern was not only on clothes. In addition to the Kalmyk costume, national products made of leather and wool, metal and wood were richly decorated with ornaments. In addition, special sacred, and even in some way, and mystical ornaments decorated Buddhist objects designed to protect a person or serve the needs of a cult.
History
The ornament originates in the distant past of the East, from where the ethnic core of Kalmyks came from. Numerous Kalmyk ornamental motifs are based on stylized images of horns, steppe grasses and flowers, the sun, the moon and stars, fire and clouds.
Each of the Kalmyk ornaments, in decorative art, has its own places and its own technique of execution. For example, felt is inherent linear geometric, consisting of rhombuses and squares, triangles and zigzags, ornament. And also there is a meander motif on vessels made of leather.
Images on household items
Most often, the Kalmyk ornament used floral and zoomorphic patterns, as well as the motifs of the sun and the cross. On hats, clothes, and various decorative items of greatest use, a drawing was made in the form of shoots, vines, leaves and buds of flowers such as a tulip, lotus, and rose.
In addition, elements of an astral character are also found in the Kalmyk ornament: stars, cross, sun and moon.
One way or another, the function of the ornament in the first place is to protect and only then decorate. But still, one cannot fail to say about the materials and manufacturing techniques of these fancy Kalmyk patterns.
Techniques execution
The first way can be seen by looking at the Kalmyk national women's embroidery, decorated with the laying of cords in a certain order. Each element of gold embroidery in this technique is voluminous. And in order to achieve this effect, it was necessary to put cardboard under the silk and already start embroidering on it. After that, the product immediately turns out, with the feeling that the pads are made using metal.
To get a shiny smooth iridescent background on household items and, possibly, on some bags, straight stitches of stretched felt were made.
Heavy product
The headdress of a married young child-bearing woman was always very richly decorated with Kalmyk ornaments and patterns. And also a feature of such a hat was that it weighed a lot. To create it, before embroidery, the felt was impregnated with batter and dried. This gave him rigidity and similarity with the cardboard, which is now used. And on top of the basis of the craftswoman laid several layers of cotton fabric and only after that patterns were embroidered.
Such a hat was worn in a special way, because each pattern had its place. The right side is female and accordingly it turns out that the left is male, that is, it was she who was the main one. With the help of this fact, the craftswomen determined the location of the ornament.
Precious materials
Ornaments of multi-colored threads, as well as gold and silver embroidery is of particular importance in ancient history. Which is rooted in the deep antiquity of the Central Asian peoples. Ornaments of leather woolen metal and wooden products have a special originality and national flavor. These patterns were woven, crashed, minted and embroidered on household items. This can be seen especially clearly in the photo of Kalmyk ornaments.
Use of felt
Creating a pattern is such an ancient region or sphere of folk art of nomads. The material from which clothes were created and on which the ornament was applied is no less interesting than the technique of execution.
Felt was also extremely useful in nomadic life, because it was also used to cover the same yurt-kibitka, and they also lined the walls and floor. And at the same time, the material is used in the manufacture of clothing. With the help of felt, many dresses with Kalmyk ornaments were created.
Its safety is very often subjected to various tests: water, the activity of insects, time, and so on, while remaining intact. And felt is, as already mentioned above, such material that, on the one hand, goes to cover the wagon and without it the traditional Kalmyk architecture simply would not exist. And on the other, this building fabric is used for small household items and clothing.
Skilled craftswomen
Looking through photos of Kalmyk patterns and ornaments, you can trace an interesting transformation. When a household item with a specific function becomes a culture. Even for example, a mat on which a person can lie, and sleep, and be covered, for example, with it, here it receives the status of a work of art. This happens at a time when the craftsmen, of course, it can be craftswomen, begin to decorate this thing. In ancient times, it was very important for her to have painted things necessary in everyday life, and for him it was very important to have a beautiful thing.
Of course, we are talking about the aesthetic transformation of the shape of a household object and this object then already receives the status of a work of art.
Felt embroidery
Although, it’s more correct to say the line, because it was with the help of this technique that the painting was made. Studying the ancient material, you can see that, in principle, the technique is the same - graphic.
The expressiveness of the linear decor only, at first glance, seems different from the Kalmyk ornament - the frame. But actually it is not. This is especially noticeable when, say, products from felt fall into the hands - Kalmyk’s shilniks of the 19th century. It is very surprising how, for example, with these square rhomboid shapes, for example, the same triangles differentiate. It is worth noting that with such an alliance as a square and a triangle, the craftswoman reflects on a world in which everything is interconnected. That is why Kalmyk ornaments and their meaning are very blurred. On one product celestial bodies can be depicted, and on another, flowers and other vegetation.
Clothes decoration
The metric pattern of Kalmyk felt can be considered as a source for the study of folk vision. It is it that is very closely connected with nature and here, through a line, through a triangle and a circle, the weavers reflected their perception of the world.
Metal products in the ornament are few in number, this can be understood from ancient finds. Mobile to be involves the dynamics, constantly and a lot of metals you can not take with you. Although there were representatives of higher communities who adorned themselves in various ways. For example, the headdress was decorated not only with the Kalmyk zeg ornament, but also with small silver coins so that eventually the ladies put on themselves by weight, almost a brick. Well, if we take not nomadic peoples, then, in general, on every Turkmen woman there are kilograms of precious metal that she wears.
Embroidery, how is it actually created?
Earlier, in ancient times, there were a lot of gold seamstresses. But in fact, there were not so many skilled craftswomen and it was an honor to learn from them. That is, embroidery of the ornament - it was a real skill, it was so revered that literally for a hat with gold embroidery, Kalmyk was given a cow. That is, the product had a rather significant cost.
Today, in fact, there is some decline in the craft, because not even in all regions do people know that the Kalmyks' golden dwelling was quite common. And also many people know that in ancient times it was customary to make leather products, but few people in general know that the Kalmyks had gold embroidery.
Unusual picture creation
Today, among historians and people who are fond of painting, embroidery of a twisted cord from a bear is of great interest. But in Russia, no nations used this method. Only the Japanese have embroidery.
But despite this, the Kalmyks have a lot of interesting things that surpasses even a twisted cord from a bear. For example, embroidery-decoration with cords: her Kalmyks literally wove on her fingers, very skillfully. But now, only, unfortunately, all this is dying.
Modern costumes
Nevertheless, recently, a trend has appeared, to wear national colors in clothes. And this is great, it’s now normal to go to work every day in national painting. That is, interest has appeared and in the future it will only be strengthened. This can be seen even on the Internet. A lot of forums have been created with questions about whether it is possible to learn Kalmyk embroidery, and if so, where?
Other ways to create an ethnic costume
Basically, the ornament in clothes was made of gold and silver threads. To begin with, a rigid substrate was created in the product, the main elements were cut out and already trimmed with gold thread.
Also, embroidery with twisted cords was popular, that is, the ornament seemed to be a little voluminous.
There was also a popular decoration not only for clothes, but also for some soft household products. And also very often the ornament was made using bead embroidery. Now, by the way, very few people remember and know about this, but it was a pretty popular way to create a picture.
To begin with, of course, a composition is developed, that is, it is determined, roughly, what will be located. By the way, most often, ancient craftswomen used elements such as the sun and floral ornaments. It was these figures that were very often present in clothes. Elements are cut into the skin, and then a technical matter, everything is attached using a gold thread.