Felting between East and West

Murray Lee Eiland III


Summary and Conclusions
Felting is not so universal that one can suggest the designs and techniques one encounters on one end of the Eurasian continent (Hungary) have no relationship with felting in Central Asia. Felts have a long history among nomadic groups, which is reflected in its importance for clothing, shelter, and ritual. Particular ethnic groups have distinctive ways of felting, which directly influence their choice of design, but motifs such as the horn are commonly encountered. At the same time new labour saving methods of felting have been introduced in some areas, classic designs nevertheless persist, though it is unclear how much longer this will be the case. In tracing the use of such tools as the carding bow, it is clear that attention must also be paid to how felters - who may be nomads - relate to sedentary society.

While it is beyond the scope of this paper, some effort should be made to establish the relationships between the various felting traditions that survive. It is imperative that a wide ranging study of the methods, as well as of the designs, of felting be carried out before modernization completely destroys what can be gleaned from what remains.