Shyrdak felt rugs

Felt is generally accepted to be the oldest known manmade material predating weaving with origins in the Neolithic period. Historically the laborious process of pressing water, wool and soap together to make felt has been practised between Mongolia and the Balkans. In Kyrgyzstan felting has been traditionally the domain of nomadic women felt makers, artisans who began making felt items to protect themselves from the harsh environment of the central Asian steppes.

Although the nomads of Kyrgyzstan are now largely settled; felt rugs continue to be made for the home, tourists and a small, yet dedicated, export market. The making of a Shyrdak felt rug is still done by traditional methods. Each rug takes the wool from approximately four sheep; the wool is then cleaned and dyed using natural dyes. The maker chooses vividly contrasting colours such as red and green or brown and orange; different colours represent different aspect of the surrounding environment.  For example, red and blue together represents the Tien Shan Mountains and Lake Issyk kul. A pattern is then marked onto a thick naturally coloured backing layer in chalk and a contrasting pattern is laid out incorporating the symbolic motifs of the Kyrgyz people. The felt rug is the soaked with soapy water and rolled into a tight bundle that is then kneaded.  This process is repeated until the felt is firm and the pattern set. Once the felt rug is dried the pattern is stitched to strengthen the edges and provide another contrasting colour. The final result is a stunning, stylised positive/negative example.

The nature of the traditional way in which the shyrdak felt rugs are made is also very appealing from an environmentally conscious point of view, these felt rugs are  made using all natural products, sheep’s wool and natural dyes, an environmentally friendly process that has been practised for hundreds of years. The resulting felt rug is also an eco friendly rug in every sense of the word.

A Shyrdak felt rug will last approximately 30 years provided proper use. Generally, cleaning is needs are minimal: The high lanolin content of the wool acts as a natural stain repellent against spills, as most liquids and non-severe spills may easily be dabbed up. The best way to care for a Shyrdak rug is to hang it outside in the sun and use a traditional rug beater or broom handle to beat out the dust, alternatively you can gently use the attachment on a vacuum cleaner to suck off the surface dust, although the main intake of the vacuum cleaner should be avoided as the revolving beater can damage the stitching.

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