Famous Kazakh proverb says: “Art of a craftsman can only be told in gold and silver”. Nevertheless, no matter how skillful hands of a creator are, in order to make a truly worthy thing it takes hard work, obstinacy, and, sure enough, courage to make a claim about yourself and about your talent.
Since time immemorial it has been believed that a woman without adornment is like a tree that has lost its leaves. To the glory of women’s beauty and grace jewelry craftsmen called Zergers (this word is of Persian descent and means “gold”) have worked. From morning till night clang resounded in their ears produced by hammer hitting an anvil to turn metal into a wonderful article.
The most complicated and expensive decoration was wedding headdress Saukele made of red velvet with additions of silver and ribbons and with all kinds of precious stones threaded onto them. Most frequently those were corals aimed to protect from jinxes and pearls to favor prosperous life. It takes a master at least a year to make a wonder item sparkle.Photo saveig.org
Among adornments that were to be worn by single girls Sholpa was the most popular. This sophisticated analogue of modern hairclip looked like coins attached to a lace pendent that clang to hair with silver threads. The adornment obliged ladies who braided it into their hair to have a gliding gait – the smoother the steps, the more tender the tinkle of hanging coins.
Another peak of Kazakh jewelry art that won hearts of Europeans is Bes Blezik bracelet. This adornment with its main purpose being to protect from negative influence, constitutes faceted stones of red jasper surrounded with chains. Copper used to be added to silver to make the alloy harder. By the way, such attitude towards the metal since down the ages can be explained by its germicidal effect as well as knowledge that this substance is contained in living body tissues. As to floral pattern that stands out in design of the adornment, opting for it is substantiated by Islam coming to Kazakhstan – this religion prohibits portraying people on accessories.
Contrary to existing idea that art should serve only to glorify women’s beauty, the Kazakhs created adornments for men, too. Special signet rings “against evil eye” were meant to be used by warriors. Thus Dzhigits preferred a ring called Kus Tumsyk with enchantress putting spells on them that were supposed to protect life and health of a person wearing it at war. Choice of a silver ring is also accounted for ancient belief of the Kazakhs. In Kazakhstan they liked to compare shine that silver beamed with moon light and they called the Orb of Night itself Pale Planet that had given birth to the noble metal. Such interconnection that knitted mythology with belief in astrological forecasts explains why the Kazakhs were sure about magic properties of some adornments.
According to ancient tales, the first craftsmen to give painstaking work distinction and exquisiteness, was Dawud Pajgambar better known as Prophet David. They make legends about his skills: in the hands of Dawud metal was becoming soft and pliant and power of the master was stronger than fire sparks so they never burned the jeweler. It is this story that emphasizes attitude of the Kazakhs towards goldsmiths: the word was that such people were able to cure others therefore even their workplaces were treated with special respect on the verge of humble awe. Those who suffered from either physical or emotional pain used to come to workshops and ask to spend a night nearby an anvil and if a master was generous enough, he would lit a candle and ask supreme forces to effect a cure.Photo baurphoto.kz
It was also thought that alongside eminent abilities Zergers had moral high ground. They believed that silver would form an ornate patter only in the hands of a man who had comprehended mystery of human soul. He would easily read in the eyes of a conversation partner what saddened him or where his dreams were heading. This is why many Zergers were also poets – deep comprehension of reality led them to poetic delicacies. As one hereditary jeweler recalls, his relatives taught him to live by laws of conscience and be devoted to the work of his life because mastery tolerates no hypocrisy.
In a local history museum in every country you visit, you will certainly notice similar archaeological finds - fragments of clay products. Pottery, born millennia ago, but “living” even today, can rightfully be considered one of the most tenacious one. The uniqueness of clay was noticed by our distant ancestors who lived in caves ...
There’s hardly anything that compares to bright-starred sky and silence. It is the stars that OUTLOOK want to tell you about or more precisely about the places with the best view on them. In Europe it is recommended to go stargazing not to some place but to… Slovenia. Point is, this small country is one of the cleanest in the world and consequently isn’t that polluted with smog.
Ice cream with a taste of horse meat, pickled insects, fish with deadly venom, etc – Japanese cuisine has things to surprise, amaze and shock you with. And truth be told, enumeration of these dishes doesn’t help my appetite at all. But we are not after exotic stuff. True culinary tourism is an attempt to comprehend mindset and feel national distinctive color through traditional cuisine – not try most exotic dishes.
Composers of antiutopias predict hundreds of sorrows to the people of the future who are from times to times forbidden to celebrate weddings, however, it seems, everything is not so terrible. In Chinese province Yun Nan near the foot of Himalayas the matriarch tribe mosuo resides that is not familiar with the concept of marriage at all.
Austrian tour operators launched an unusual touristic tourdesigned for fans of singing style called yodel. Hikers wander through the Ziller Valley, a broad trail narrows opening the way for only the most avid travellers, then track leads upwards. Tourists look into the interactive station shaped as a giantsonorous walk-in cowbell, then they go around thelargest alpine horn and head to place...
A mini toast, a slice of cheese and a sip of strong coffee. "That is not a buffet!" a waiter will pronounce indignantly, looking at the disgruntled tourist’s face. The generous Ukrainian soul cannot understand how locals manage to eat their full with that. Therefore, before going to a new country, you need to know exactly whether in the evening you should prepare a couple of sandwiches to indulge them in the morning,...
The New Year in Ukraine did not always start with a Christmas tree, and instead of Santa Claus and Snow Maiden, guests were waiting fora minx girl - Malanka and motor-boy Vasyl accompanied by the retinue. All the follies were out of hand: the ridiculed riddles carried a sacred content, dictated by the logic of the myth of the duel of spring and winter.
Christmas arrives with a warm overjacket on its shoulders. At night it brings warm light of the first evening star and in the morning it wakes you up with shine of white but warm sun. If my great-grandmonther’s grandmother had been asked about her Christmas feelings, I believe, her words would have been identical to mine. Because together with a bowl of kutia,...
Vitamins, development of resistance to cold, correct day regimen... That's all good and useful, especially when the winter weather swirls in, but sometimes we all have to pamper ourselves and at the same time to be protected against germs and colds. And the best way to do it is to sip some mulled wine.
A little son came to his father and suggested to run away from mom and granny to the North Pole? Now, do not indulge into tragic speeches of severe frosts, pitch darkness of the polar night and hungry polar bears! Give a conspiracy wink to a little brave one, and give him a real man's job for his school winter holidays that is to learn how to build an igloo, night shelter in ever-frost lands.
In those days when the Persian soldiers were second to none, and both the Roman Empire and the Arabian Peninsula were conquered by their power, skilful fingers of winner nation craftswomen created their first masterpiece. The carpet called The Springtime passed into history as the most precious of all time. It symbolized powerful rule of the Persians, and its beauty told about the divine origin of the king Khosrow I.
It is said, the easier it is, the better we feel, however, is it always like that? We know that not all the nations follow this principle. OUTLOOK has found out the strangest, toughest and hard in articulation international languages and would like to share it with the readers.
OUTLOOK often tells about the kitchens of the peoples around the world, but when it comes to Italy, writing about the country should be a crime. Each of its twenty regions has its own culinary world with the subtleties and specialties. Let the title of gastronomic capital of Italy be Bologna, its official capital - Rome, too, has something to boast about. We are telling you what is remarkable about Roman cuisine...
Traditional Japanese kabuki theatre has always been a mystery to the European mentality: only an expert on the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun can understand a play without guide’s tips. The word kabuki is sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing". Why not an operetta? The essence of performance is not confined to musical presentation only...
Our "Peruvian cycle" is replenished with the story of the most revered animals in Peru. Being the link between the present and the past, they play an important role in the life of this nation. Wise ancestors of the modern Peruvians, the ancient Incas, were living in harmony with all life that surrounded them.
Do you happen to get hungry? That is great as we go on with our story about the most popular street food from around the world. It’s freshly cooked - fall to, you guys! Let's start with the South Asian countries, namely Singapore - seafood-rich in vitamins and minerals occupy a key place in the diet of residents ...
Experienced tourists believe that one of the best sure-fire ways to quickly tune into the beat of another culture is to try local food. In order not to be at a loss when choosing dishes and save precious time for spiritual food, OUTLOOK gives you selective advice on street gastronomy from seven spots of the globe.
Trip to Latvia breaks the chain of mundanity, awakes secret fantasies which usually remain dormant in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Wandering between the centuries-old pine trees, fresh Baltic breeze languidly runs over strings in wait for off-beat adventure. Dreams do come true – you just need to know a right place to make a wish.
Carpets hang on walls as a symbol of wealth, lay on floors to create coziness and are presented as expensive gifts. Studying fancy pictures in the shapes of diamonds and stars on them attempting to figure out their meaning is a fairly amusing thing to do. Globally spread carpeting traditions were borrowed from eastern peoples who were the first to learn how to make yarn and fabric out of fibrous materials.
Upon hearing word combination “Hindu woman” an image of a beautiful woman wearing sari and definitely with numerous adornments and pictures on her body emerges in our imagination. Where does passion for body decoration come from in national traditions of this people?
Photo saveig.org
Photo baurphoto.kz
