Crafts in Uzbekistan: from the past to the future

The history of Uzbek arts and crafts lasts for many centuries, and as result our country has developed truly unique artistic tradition. Almost all types of crafts existed in Uzbekistan since ancient times. Even in the deep ancientry the people living in Central Asia burned clay, drew on the bones, created hardware, weaved carpets and fabrics to decorate their homes and clothes.
The Great Silk Road immensely contributed to the wide international recognition of Uzbek folk crafts. For many centuries caravans were carrying goods between the West and the East through the territory of the present-day Uzbekistan. A substantial part of these goods was produced by the craftsmen. In the 7th century in his "Records of the travel to the Western regions" the Buddhist monk Xuan Zang noted that "Samarkand craftsmen were much more skillful than the craftsmen from the other countries".
Eventually, the unique Uzbek art schools had appeared, where each craft center was developing its own style and original design and technology. Rishtan ceramics, Urgut embroidery, Bukhara golden sewing, Margilan satin, Karakalpak and Khorezm jewelry, Chust scull-caps, Pap encrusted knives became famous.
Numerous kinds of artistic crafts tracing their origins from ancient times currently are being developed by national masters. The national traditions are being preserved carefully and developed creatively by many generations of Uzbek craftsmen. Ceramics is one of the oldest and most valued among the wide variety of Uzbek crafts. The art of ceramics takes its origin at the dawn of human civilization and appeared mostly to satisfy the practical need for kitchen utensils. Later it developed into a part of the cultural heritage of many peoples.
The invention of special paints had a huge importance for the development of ceramics in the Central Asia region. Besides aesthetic value of glassy dyes, their use allowed to create more possibilities for application of various patterns. At first, the alcalic glaze had been discovered. The ornaments then were the simplest ones of geometric character, such as large grids or strips. Then ceramic artisans had mastered bright-green, yellow and brown-black paints. Since IX-X centuries so called “spotty” “marble looking” ceramics became popular.
Ornaments featuring plant patterns had appeared on the basis of observations of surrounding nature. In the patterns, which craftsmen employ till present time, there is the reflection of beautiful world of flora. Thus, the image of a leaf means awakening of nature in spring. Motive of a fruit of almond (“bodom”) is the symbol of happiness, fertility, wealth. The depiction of hot pepper “kalampur” is the amulet against diseases.
Luckily, even nowadays we can enjoy watching numerous glazed ceramic bowls and dozens of clay statuettes of the local gods and fabulous creatures made by craftsmen from legendary Sogdiana. It is possible to distinguish in the patterns used by the ceramists from Tashkent and Samarkand the ancient symbols of earth, water, sky, sun, and stars, whereas statuettes of dragons, horses and goats remind of the terracotta artifacts from the ancient Afrosiab site.
Thousand years ago in the village of Rishtan in the Feghana Valley ceramic home craft was developed. The articles of Rishtan craftsmen-kuzgars, which were covered with bright blue glaze, were in great demand along the whole Great Silk Road. However, with modern technologies arrival and enamels industrially produced by the ceramic factory which was opened in Rishtan in the 1960s, the traditional art of ceramics became almost extinct. It was only thanks to the enthusiasm of the hereditary masters that the art of producing famous blue ceramics was revived, and traditional technology now is being used again.
Metals, including copper, gold and silver, have been mined in the mountains of Sogd already in ancient time, and Sogdian craftsmen developed outstanding skills in metal working. Sogdian knives, daggers, arrow-heads, spear-heads, chain armors, and stirrups for war-horses were popular export items far beyond the bounds of the country. The oldest bronze and copper artifacts found in Uzbekistan date back to the 4th millennium B.C. The skills of Sogdian armourers were highly praised in the Hellenic period. The art of metal working reached the most advanced level during the Temurid period.
From ancient times blacksmiths from the Ferghana Valley made excellent sabres, daggers, arrow-heads and spear-heads. According to the 10th century historian Ibn-Haukal, "the iron weapons from Ferghana were universally used from Horasan to Baghdad". At the beginning of the 18th century the armourers switched to producing mostly traditional knives. Such a knife in a leather sheath is an integral part of Uzbek national costume. Today the craft of making knives is still widely practiced in Kokand, Shakhrikhan and other towns of the Ferghana Valley. Yet the most famous are the smiths from the town of Chust. They make over 15 different types of knives. The knife (pichok) made by a Chust craftsman is always a beautiful work of art, with its elegantly curved sharp blade and lovingly carved wooden, bone or horn handle.
In the middle of the 19th century regional schools of metal chasing developed in Bukhara, Khiva, Kokand, Samarkand and Tashkent. They differed in technologies of making cast and forged containers and trays, in methods of decoration and in ornamental patterns.
According to the Chinese chronicles of the 1st century B.C., the residents of Bactria and Sogdiana were highly skilled in wood and stone carving, building activities, weaving and silk embroidery. Within several centuries Uzbek craftsmen acquired advanced mastery in the art of buildings decoration. Up till now we can adore fascinating samples of stone, wood and ganch-stucco carving once decorating the palaces and temples in ancient Termez (Surkhandarya) and palace in Varakhsha near Bukhara. In some dwelling houses of Bukhara, built in the 19th and early 20th centuries, carved panels and water sinks made of Gazgan and Nurata marble still can be found. The beautiful samples of contemporary stone carving decorate the facade of the Theatre of Opera and Ballet named after Alisher Navoi in Tashkent.
The patterns used in wood carving are stylistically similar to those of ganch-stucco and stone carving. One of the oldest remaining carvings on wood dates back to the 11th century. This is an epigraphic frieze in frame ornament decorating Kusam-ibn-Abbas mausoleum - the oldest part of Shakhi-Zinda architectural ensemble. The facades of many buildings in Uzbekistan have been for centuries decorated with wooden fretted columns, panels and doors. The wood carvers of the Temurid period left us unique monuments of the medieval cultural heritage. Among them are the famous fretted doors to Temur's mausoleum and to Kusam-ibn-Abbas mausoleum in Samarkand, and the Seifiddin Bokharzi cenotaph in Bukhara. In the 18th century Khiva became the centre of wood carving craft.
While the walls of a traditional Uzbek house were decorated with embroideries, the floor had to be covered with carpets. Woolen, silk and gold-embroidered carpets from the royal workshops in Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand were very much valued at the Silk Road bazaars. Having visited Central Asia, Marco Polo pointed out: "You should know that the finest and most beautiful carpets in the world are made here". In the course of time the production of labor-intensive and rather expensive carpets declined and early in the 19th century it was terminated. The unique craft has been only recently revived.
Uzbekistan is one of the largest silkworm cocoons producers in the world and more than 85% of silk in CIS countries is manufactured in republic. Raw silk and cocoons are exported from Uzbekistan to China, India, Bangladesh, UAE, Turkey, Russia, Iran and South Korea. Uzbek silk carpets are famous due to their high quality and unique design. The main silk carpets producers in Uzbekistan are “Afghan-Bukhara-Samarkand” JV, “Bars International Company”, “Edgorlik” Ltd., “Ibrohimjon Gilamlari”.
To support the development of Uzbek decorative, folk and applied art, on March 31, 1997 President of Uzbekistan issued a Decree "On measures of state support for the further development of Uzbek decorative, folk and applied art". Thanks to this document the Hunarmand Association was created. It unites more than 12000 artisans representing all Uzbekistan regions. Association members create fascinating works in 40 forms of traditional folk art. A number of nongovernmental organizations and funds actively promote teaching arts and crafts to the youth through the system "Usto va shogird" ('Master and Apprentice'). As well, banking sector of our country provides considerable support to Uzbek artisans. In particular, Agrobank is taking active part in the support of outwork, craftsmanship and national home crafts and the stimulation of family entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan. The bank granted preferential credits worth 1.728 million soums for further development of outwork during the first half 2010. The revival and further development of ancient Uzbek crafts is very important, not only for the sake of new jobs creation, but also for the cultural advancement of Uzbekistan and preserving its historical heritage.
 

Vyacheslav Luchkin, Senior Financial Analyst, AFS-Research