 Art |
| FOLKLORE POETRY |
Folklore Poetry is an integral part of Uzbek culture. The abundance of folklore types has a huge spiritual and enriching value. Folklore represents the national history, the lifestyle of the people and sets moral norms. Uzbek folklore is a complex art with a variety of themes and genres. It has two categories: ritual and non-ritual poetry. The national poet is Alisher Navoi, famous worldwide.
| DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART |
The sources of folk art of Uzbekistan go back to the depth of the centuries. Types of decorative-applied art forms are diverse. Pottery, weaving, woodwork and leather ornaments, calligraphy and small art forms have ancient traditions of craftsmanship. 1998 was an anniversary year for the craftsmen association "Usto". Numerous monographs and albums have been published in Uzbekistan and abroad about folk art. Different organisations and funds are extending assistance for revival and support of the folk and crafts. Among them the UNESCO program of the office of UN in Uzbekistan.
Numerous archaeological diggings in rural areas have revealed and continue to reveal new aspects of this ancient land and its culture. Uzbek applied art has a wealth of variety when it comes to style, materials and ornamentation. Ceramics, silk and cotton weaving, stone and wood carving, metal engraving, leather stamping, calligraphy and miniature painting are some genres passed down from ancient times. In the past, each region had its own cultural and ethnic traditions, these unique features were established by local guilds who strengthened these characteristics through their art. It was possible to recognise where someone came from, from his tyubeteyka (embroidered skullcap), the colour and style of his chapan (gown). The embroidery in the house identified the housewife's birthplace. The development of folk art and craft in Uzbekistan is very important. To encourage and support artists, the Hunardman Union of Folk Craftsmen was established. An Association of Folk Craftsmen called Usto will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year and the scientific industrial centre, Musavvir recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. There are many research papers, albums and books dedicated to Uzbek folk art, some of which were published in Uzbekistan and some abroad. The Scientific Research Institute of the Academy of Arts has compiled an Atlas of Folk Arts and Crafts of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In 1998, our American patron, Guido Goldman, who published an album on Central Asian Silk History, was awarded a medal and the title: "Honourary Member of the Academy of Arts". Some have even received special government awards. Great assistance in the revival and support of folk art and crafts is being given by non-government organisations in Uzbekistan. These include UNESCO, the Zumrad Culture Centre from the Association of Business Women of Uzbekistan, an American company, Craftsmen Help, Inc. and the Soros Fund. Items produced by folk craftsmen are not only used for scientific research, but also for national and international exhibitions. Export of contemporary art is duty free.
| CERAMICS |
Ceramics of Uzbekistan is very diverse in its colour and design. It is also regional in terms of shape, design and colour. The most well known centres for ceramics are Rishtan and Gurumsay situated in the Ferghana Valley and Khorezm. They are famous for their glazed white and blue ceramics. The regions producing multicolored ceramics are Gidjduvan, Shakhrisabz, Tashkent and Samarkand. Gidjduvan is the area that has always been highly regarded by experts for its exceptional ceramic art especially because of its rich colours: golden yellow, dark brown and green tones. Bowls, piolas (national cups) and dishes are painted inside and outside. Painted ceramic toys (hushtack) are produced in a little village called Uba, 40 km outside Bukhara. During the second half of the 20th century, miniature plastic toys made by Samarkand craftsmen became very popular. These pieces were not only amusing as toys, they also depicted scenes filled with people's characteristics, humour and naive little stories. Another kind of Uzbek craft typical for Samarkand is the art of making crockery, smoking pipes (chilim) and snuffboxes (noskadu) from little gourds.
| THE ART OF JEWELRY |
Uzbek craftsmen of today still practice ancient
jewellery making techniques for cutting gemstones,
grain filigree, granular work, engraving, embossing,
and chasing. Modern jewellers not only keep traditions,
they also take into account fashion demands and
styles. |
| METAL CHASING AND ENGRAVING |
Since ancient times, the largest cities in Uzbekistan - Bukhara, Tashkent, Samarkand and Khiva, have been the centre for copper engraving based on traditional methods. Each region has specific shapes and designs. The most popular items are jugs, teapots and trays, and not too long ago, washstands, hand-basins, and buckets. Copper embossed items were highly appreciated in the past and are still very popular today. The water vessel (kumgan) motif often appears in patterns on ceramic jugs and embroidered cloths. This is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Tashkent and Bukhara are the two most popular areas that practice this craft.
| ART EMBROIDERY |
One of the most popular trends of applied arts in Uzbekistan famous is embroidery. The several areas in Uzbekistan famous for their embroidery are Nuratin, Samarkand, Bukhara, Shakhrisabz, Surkhandarya, Tashkent, Djizzak and Fergana. Each school is distinguished by its unique features such as ornamentation, composition, colour large and stitching. The traditional art of embroidery is still alive among the people of Uzbekistan. In Bukhara, Shakhrisabz and Tashkent embroidered cloth are mass-produced in factories. Gold embroidery is the finest kind of embroidery. This craft is still been practised in Bukhara.
| WEAVING |
One of the most ancient crafts in Uzbekistan is weaving. Its richest historical traditions have remained with us until today. Cotton fabrics and silks were in demand everywhere throughout Central Asia. Uzbekistan's famous centres for clothes manufacturing are Samarkand, Bukhara, Kokand, Margilan and Namangan. Towns in Fergana Valley still operate as silk production centres. Secrets for making these priceless clothes were known in these parts long before the Great Silk Road was established. The art of weaving exists in the Fergana Valley and, without a doubt, handcrafted cloth is still preferred to factory woven fabric. In addition to the silk factory in Margilan, there is also a new enterprise Yodgorlik that has been established to revive the ancient methods of weaving silk. The art of cloth printing almost disappeared completely. It was very popular in the past in Samarkand and Bukhara. Today it is actively developing in the town of Margilan.
| THE ART OF CARPET WEAVING |
This is also a very ancient form of art throughout Asia and the East. In the past, it was the only way to satisfy the aesthetic needs of nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes. There are centres practising this traditional craft in the regions of Djizzak, Syrdarya, Kashkadarya and Karakalpakstan. Silk carpet production has become very popular in Samarkand.
| WOOD CARVING AND PAINTING |
This form of art has been practised in Uzbekistan since the early Middle Ages. Today this form of art is used and adapted extensively in modern interior design. Carved and painted tables, pencil boxes and bookstands are popular pieces among local people and tourists.
| THE ART OF MINIATURE PAINTING AND CALLIGRAPHY |
This has been revived again in its traditional form as well as some modern variants. Miniatures stamped on leather, painted on paper miniatures, small lacquered boxes, framed pictures, pencil boxes and numerous other creative ideas. These skilfully painted pieces are very demanded.
| MUSIC |
The musical legacy of the Uzbek people goes far back to the ancient times and exists in the modern world in all its variety of genres and musical means. One of the peculiarities of Uzbek musical heritage lays in the fact that it unites 2 layers: folklore music and oral compositions. A diversity ofthemes and variety of genres characterise Uzbek music.
In November 1991, the USA hosted for the first time the 'Days of Uzbek Traditional Music.' A group of prominent singers and musicians including honoured artists and art workers gave concerts in NYC, Washington DC, San Francisco and other cities of USA.
Together with folk music, that carries a strong impact of heritage and history, Uzbekistan has traditions of classical musical art. For the first time Uzbekistan was represented as an independent nation in October 1991, on an International Contest of Piano performers in Portugal. A young Uzbek pianist Ulughbek Palranov was awarded third place on his performance of works of Bach and Chopin.
Today, Uzbekistan's two most famous bands are Dado and Sitora, which perform frequently. It is possible to buy their cd's, as other local music too, and the cd prices are a lot lower than in Europe or USA. |
