Felting between East and West

Murray Lee Eiland III


Technical Characteristics of Eurasian Felts

While much information regarding who made what kinds of felt cannot be reconstructed from the archaeological record, it is clear that techniques of felting follow tribal affiliation:

Rolled Pattern Technique
This method was used by the Turkmen, seminomadic Uzbek, Kirgiz, Kazakh, and Karakulpak. The Turkmen in particular are known for their mastery of this technique, and Burkett (1993: 177) notes that the patterns on front and back may be different, which is unique to the Turkmen. A pattern in dyed wool would be laid out and several layers of undyed wool would be used as a base. The Kazakh and Kirghiz method relies upon a thin or lightly rolled wool for the pattern which was laid upon a semi-prepared base. Both methods used not water, which was poured over the felt, which was rolled into a cylinder and repeatedly rolled back and forth in a communal activity.

Mosaic Technique
This technique was limited to the Kazakhs, Kirghiz and seminomadic Uzbeks. Patterns of felt were cut from sheets of different colours and the pieces were sewn together. One colour, usually light, served as the background. Coloured cord was used to emphasize the outlines of the design. The face was in turn sewn on a piece (or pieces) of wool, and all were quilted together. The borders of the felt were then selvaged with a wool cord.

Appliqué,, Patterns in Colored Cord
These more elaborate techniques were used by the Kazakhs and Kirghiz. Kazakh and Khirgiz felts used similar techniques and patterns, often based on what appear to be a horn design. Turkoman felts usually revolved around a large central design (or designs) framed by a border. Basilov and Naumova also note the use of a wave-shaped border that is used in Turkmen and Karakalpak felts.

Quilting
Mongol felts are most frequently made with an outer layer of plain white felt that has been stitched, felts made by rolling the design are virtually unknown. A stitched felt results is a contoured surface. In between two rows of stitching, a bulge of fabric is formed that cushions it from wear, and gives the object a longer life than if it were stitched flush to the surface. The patterns on this type of felt are therefore distinctive from those of other methods. The quilted patterns are particularly designed to resist stretching from any side. By constantly opposing the direction of lines of stitching, this invariable feature of Mongol quilted felts generates designs that are as practical as they are ornamental. As a result these designs are distinctive to the felts, and are not encountered on other handy crafts (Chambros 1988: 38, 43). While quilted felts from the Mongol tradition are commonly made up of layers of material that have been cut, the other techniques rely upon laying out a set amount of material for the object to be made.

While the designs that are used on these felts may resist art-historical analysis, there are several patterns that - because of cultural connotations - may follow ancient traditions. The so-called “horn motif” occurs in a number of felts, from Afghanistan in the East to Turkey in the West. It is also significant that the “thunderbolt” design (Fig 9) taken from classical sources may have been understood or adapted to one based on horns. This design also has a wide distribution across various tribes, and it may be considered a ‘universal’, motif because it has clear associations with sheep and therefore felting. Horns are kept and used as household ornaments in a number of pastoral cultures. In Afghanistan horns are placed above houses for “good luck” (Burkett 1979: 29). While in some cases design elements may have an unclear origins, the horn motif emerges as one that would by its very nature remain constant in hair-based textile producing cultures.