Two Stops Past Siberia

Yes, I know that all of these handicrafts constitute art, and it is insulting to refer to one section as art, and not another. But I don’t like to use the generic term “souvenirs,”  so “art” is the best I’ve got.

The first two photos here are pictures made of rug. I’ve never seen those before, or since, for that matter. But aren’t they pretty? I imagine they could make any picture we asked them to.

These photos are of pictures made of leather. They are pressed, and some are dyed. The big fella you see is the Kyrgyz hero Manas, who shares his name with the longest epic poem ever written. There is a local tradition of memorizing this poem. The people who do it are called “Manasers.” The black and white pictures are reliefs made of horns.

This happy little guy is a carafe for alcohol, complete with cups. It is made of some kind of horn, and that carving in the center is a traditional yurt.