Tush kyiz

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Tush kyiz are large, elaborately embroidered wall hangings, traditionally made in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by elder women to commemorate the marriage of a son or daughter.

Colors and designs are chosen to symbolize Kyrgyz traditions and rural life. Flowers, plants, animals, stylized horns, national designs and emblems of Kyrgyz life are often found in these ornate and colorful embroideries. Designs are sometimes dated and signed by the artist upon completion of the work, which may take years to finish. The tush kyiz is hung in the yurt over the marriage bed of the couple, and symbolize their pride in their Kyrgyz tradition.

After the establishment of the Soviet Union in Kyrgyzstan, the nomads were settled down, abandoning their yurt life for homes or apartments in town. In the summer, however, many would still take their yurts, shyrdaks and tush kyiz to the mountains where they would live during the warm summer months and graze their livestock. During the 63 years of Soviet rule, Kyrgyz women sometimes incorporated Soviet emblems into their tush kyiz to symbolize how Kyrgyzstan had embraced Soviet socialism and the idea of the proletariat.

The tush kyiz embroideries have been a family tradition among Kyrgyz people for centuries, but among the last two generations, the tradition has been confined to the rural women. Urban women are more interested in developing worldly skills and have given up most handicrafts. Shyrdaks (felt rugs) are still being made because these have always been an item for sale to the general public. Tush kyiz, on the other hand, have always been created as a deeply personal family heirloom, symbolizing for a newly married couple their union with family, regional and national tradition.

Tush kyiz have fallen out of favor with the younger generations in Kyrgyzstan, and these magnificent embroideries are no longer being made. However, those that have been created by generations past are works of extraordinary beauty and craftsmanship and will always be honored as works of art.