Archive

Elements

Zergerlyk - Kazakh jewelry art
  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00002041
    Country Kazakhstan
    ICH Domain Traditional craft skills
    Year of Designation 2013
Description Jewellery art (kaz. 'zergerlyk') - is knowledge and skills in the field of traditional Kazakh art manufacturing of silverware. Since ancient times, there were produced a variety of silver jewelry: rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, buckles and much more. Especially highly prized precious silver vessels, such as jugs, bowls, mugs, decorated with engraved images. Archeological findings suggest that Kazakh people achieved a higher level in the development of jewellery making. Chylik findings were made using such techniques as stamping, engraving, true grain, incrustation (VII-V century BC); Issyk finding included “Golden warrior” (IV-III century BC); Berel kurgan findings (IV-VI century BC) from Eastern Kazakhstan are the testimony of a unique “animal style” in jewellery making. Jewellery is mainly made with silver. This craft is widespread across Kazakhstan but each region has its specifications concerning technique and design. Jewelry sets are made for men, women, and children; as well jewellery making is used for decorating musical instruments, household items, weaponry and horse gears; some made for rituals, others have symbolic or sacred value. Zergerlyk used for making details in men’s clothing, rider’s gear, horse riding gear, for example, horse equipment (er-tuman), traditional belts (beldyk, kyseh beldyk and kyemer belbeu), sword and knives’ handles and scabbards, powder flask (okhshantai), snuffboxes (nasybai). Women’s decorative items include forehead jewellery (shekelyk), braid jewellery (shashbau), earrings (syrgha), necklaces (alkhah, onirzhiyek, tumar), bracelets and cuffs (bilezyk), rings (zhuzyk), belt buckles (khapsyrmah), buttons (tyuime), personal hygiene items (tyss tazlaghysh, khulakh tazlaghysh), tools for crafting, spindle (urshykh), thimble (oymakh). Zergers also make child’s cradle set: bessyk (cradle), shumek (tube to flow urine), syldyrmakh (rattle), yemyzik (pacifier), tumar (amulet, charm) and other items. The jewelry pieces in the form of circle, oval, triangle, half oval, rectangular, petal, peak and beak are frequently combined to make a larger piece, for example pectoral decorative items onzhyrek and alkah are made of several triangle and rectangular plates, khudaghy zhuzik (a special large double ring presented when marriage brokerage occurs) and bes-blezyk (a bracelet connected with chains with three rings). Geometric style from Western Kazakhstan is famous for large-scale decorative items that are assembled from pre-made pieces that are joined together by soldering (plates, borders, solar symbols, grain). Most common techniques include true grain, plated filigree, stamping, embossing, engraving, niello, enamel, casting, forging, and incrustation with precious and semi-precious stones. Stone (tas) are sliced flat and are called eye (koz) as they considered to be protection charms. The most popular stone is cornelian (akhykh) as it symbolizes prosperity and joy.
Social and cultural significance Silver decorative items accompany Kazakh people for the whole life from the moment they are born till the day they leave this world. Silver jewelries accompany each Kazakh through his life. It has a variety of ritual and ceremonial significance. Wearing silver bracelets and rings was required when women were cooking. As well, traditional jewelry plays an important role in Kazakh society as it helps to immediately recognize the status of a person (young woman, engaged woman, married, parents with children that not married, parents with married children, ruler, shaman or other). Silver jewelry is an indispensable element of traditional rituals and ceremonies (birth, wedding, funeral, etc.). There are different types of jewelry: women's jewelry and jewelry for men and children's sets. Women's jewelry occupies a special place in the Kazakh jewelry art so they differ by extremely rich assortment of products and the complexity of execution. There are varieties of women's jewelry: ornaments for hats (pendants, charms), hair 'sholpy'), frontal jewelry (pendants – 'shekelik'), breast ('alqa'), ring for mother of a bride or groom, dressed up two fingers ('qudaghi zhuzik'), bracelets ('bilezik'), bracelet, joining bracelet and three rings by chains, belts ('kenep belbeu') and buckles ('kapsyrma', 'қaptyrma'), decorated with traditional Kazakh ornaments (zoomorphic, floral, geometric, cosmological). Men were made belt with silver inlay ('beldjk'), the seat ('er toqym'), a sheath for a sword, saber and knives. Kazakh silver jewelry has its specific elegance and expressiveness of decorative solutions. There are jewelry artisans, who follow the hereditary arts of their ancestors and teachers throughout modern Kazakhstan.
Transmission method Zergerlyk is a traditional Kazakh art of jewelry making. This art is transferred through generations from father to son, from master to journeyman. Each zerger (jewelry artisan works on its own. Zergerlyk is considered a professional art.
Community Modern zergers/jewellery artists include K. Kulmambetov, A. Mukhazhanov, Ye. Daubay, B. Aleebay, S. Kokenov, B. Atamkulov, S, Bashirov, S. Rysbekov, A. Khadyrbayev, Yi. Kazakov, S. Orazov, K. Tassov, Yi. Rafikov, K. Yesmakhan, A. Mustafayev, S. Umytbayev, A. Zheldybayev and Z. Yuldabayev.
Keyword
Information source
Kazakhstan National Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage

Materials related to

Videos
Article