Abstract:

Kazakh textile patterns can be represented by two forms of improvisation. These create new patterns from previous ones and are reminiscent of sheep horns. Once common, this practice is now reflected in two contemporary approaches. Following tradition, a woman in Mongolia works freehand, making embroidery without a pattern. A woman in Kazakhstan created unique patterns in applique using new materials. Recently she made a rug by cutting thin felt into the pattern. Then, she realized that by adding a single cut, she could create a completely different form. She obtained a patent for the new pattern. The difference in the two approaches lies in the fixation. Patterns have always been renewed as a cultural practice through forgetting. In contemporary society, patterns are also unique and complete "art" and are produced with a clearer narrative to be owned as special.