Paper short abstract:

The paper addresses the different kinds of transformation in textile imagery, form and technique in women's textile production across the Eurasian region during two different periods of state rule, socialism and post-socialism.

Paper long abstract:

Textile production in Eurasia, especially among nomadic people, was, in the past, largely women's work. Textile forms varied from weavings, embroidery, felt making, patchwork, appliqué, and many groups made all forms, while specialising in a few. The imagery of some forms, such as embroidery and weaving, lent themselves to transformations during the socialist period, evoking state ideals, heroes, and so on. Post-socialism brought different forms of economy, and affected women's textile work, its ethos and aesthetic, in different ways. In this era form and technique changed, while imagery was less dynamic, and the concern was reproduction.

The lecture explores how technique, form and image relate to ethos and economy to produce work of diverse qualities in Eurasia. Regions considered include Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.