Traditional craft in Mongolia

Chapter 4 of our textbook talks about folk culture versus popular culture. Culture is essentially two different types: types stemming from daily necessities like shelter and food, and types involving leisure activities. A part of folk culture that I’m particularly interested in is traditional crafts.

Mongolia has a rich and vibrant folk culture tradition, probably because of its rich rural, nomadic, pastoral history.  Two traditional crafts associated with nomadic culture are felt making and embroidery.

Felt making began and is still practiced today as a part of providing shelter.  Nomads make felt to cover their gers (yurts) and make carpets shoes, cushions and other decorative items with it ( http://www.feltmongolia.mn/traditinoal.html).

handmade felt slippers from here.

Embroidery is also tied to the ger, particularly in the west where the Kazakhs are more prevalent. Mongolian embroidery primarily uses a chain stitch to outline the design and to fill it in.  Embroidery pieces are for decoration, to hide the wood frame of the ger and to add warmth to a home. Mothers begin embroidering wall hanging for their children’s wedding when they are still small.

embroidery on a Kazakh rug purchased in Mongolia. 

 

a traditional wall hanging

In the above picture, you can see that the wall hanging is unfinished. There are a couple reasons for that--there is a signature/inscription at the bottom, the bottom will not be seen so doesn't need to be finished, and also as a reflection of their Muslim faith (only God creates perfect things). 


Next time, we'll talk about the language of Mongolia.