Beshir: subculture in Turkmen carpet weaving
Handmade Turkmen carpets are known for their beauty, great technique of execution and rich variety of ornaments. It is interesting to watch how the carpet is created. Sometimes working together, the craftswomen act harmoniously, almost synchronously; occasionally checking with the layout lying at a distance, they make a canvas with a symmetrical pattern, without foreign parts or distortion of the layout, as if the canvas were woven by a machine capable of reproducing images with mathematical precision. This is a true classic of folk art with a centuries-old history. According to scientific sources, it is known that the carpet was invented by nomadic peoples who were engaged in cattle breeding. This contributed to the creation of a variety of shapes and sizes of woven products required in the field conditions. Rugs were perfect for the camp lifestyle as they were warm, soft and easy to carry. Turkmen women wove haly for warming floors, and for storing things, dishes and household utensils carpet containers they made large and small bags – chuvals, torbas and horjuns. These products performed not only a utilitarian, a social, but also an aesthetic function, creating comfort at home. The wellbeing of the family was determined by the number of such items. Sheep’s wool was and remains the main material for their manufacture. For this purpose, the best long fleece of the
