Shyrdak: the felt carpets of the Tian Shan
How a sheep's fleece becomes a carpet that outlives the person who made it.
A shyrdak is a mosaic felt carpet: two contrasting sheets of felt are cut to the same pattern, then the pieces are swapped and stitched back together so nothing is wasted. The result is reversible and, properly made, lasts fifty years or more.
The process
- Wool is washed, dyed and laid out in even layers.
- It is rolled inside a reed mat and worked with hot water until the fibres lock together.
- The pattern is cut through both colours at once, the pieces exchanged, then couched with cord along every seam.
Where to see it done
Kochkor is the centre of the craft, and several women's cooperatives there run short demonstrations. On our cultural itinerary we stop for one — it is the difference between buying a souvenir and understanding what you bought.