Uzbekistan - Decorative-applied Arts

Private companies also contribute to the revival of the carpet industry. Their carpets are of excellent quality, with rich use of natural materials (wool, cotton strings, and silk), and natural dyes. Mini-factories on manufacture of carpets are opened in rural areas given the closeness of the basic source of initial material used in the field. Due to their operation in those areas, more women acquire skills of weaving. Old classical Uzbek and Turkmen carpets are used as main samples in the carpet making.

Main tasks of carpet-makers include the restoration of ancient drawings, creation of new good quality products, and above all, restoration of technology of traditional dying of natural fabric. Long use of aniline dyes had its negative effect upon aesthetic qualities of the homemade carpets with further turning them to an ordinary household item.

The state pays a great deal of attention to prospects of carpet design at all levels - removal of the taxation on handicrafts, including carpets, and creation of the system on training for carpet design at the educational institutions of Academy of Applied Arts of Uzbekistan.

Silk weaving. The revival of the silk weaving is related to the activity of the Joint-Stock Company "Marghilankhan-atlas" and the "Yodgorlik" Company. Today production of national fabrics such as atlas, khon-atlas, shokhi-bekasam, adras, and bakhmal is restored. Ancient traditional patterns are revived, and at the same time, special attention is paid towards restoration of natural dyes.

Silk carpets. Production of silk carpets is revived in Samarkand, where the "Afghan-Bukhara-Samarkand" JV has been established. Company aims to set up production of silk-carpets in Uzbekistan. It only uses local natural dyes, which give the final product a sense of originality.

The carpets are woven on vertical and horizontal looms. They are 1,5x3 meters in size. Density ranges from 600- 800 thousand knots to 1 million 200 thousand knots per square. The length of the nap does not exceed 2 mm. The silk string goes both into a base and weft of a carpet. The final product is extremely thin and simultaneously solid. The quality of work is very high, but the main feature is its decorations, which it is mainly appreciated for. Silk carpets are produced in Bukhara, as well.

Varnished paintings. In revival of the varnished paintings, a tradition, which was completely lost, the technology of a varnish and Oriental tradition of miniature painting is used. Through a varnish painting a variety of small and basic caskets are decorated, as well are pen cases for handles and pencils. The painting is carried out using natural dyes with an egg yolk base.

The art of jewelry making in Uzbekistan has its long traditions. From century to century zarghar masters have created unique jewelry items. In the second half of the 20th century, jewelry became an industrial product, which resulted to some unification of jewelry items, a gradual simplification and distortion of the traditional forms of ornaments, and the refusal of some kinds of technology.

In the last decade, cultural traditions were revived, lost forms of products were restored, and there was the opportunity for work with precious metals, especially with silver. The synthesis of initial norms of beauty and individual creative treatment has promoted further.