Felted Silk Scarves

Hand woven silk scarf, hand felted with natural wool.

60cm x 1.9m

Dry clean only

Small groups of women producers in Kyrgyzstan live on what was once the Silk Road.   These mountain women create silk scarves adorned with felt decorations.  The women inherited their craft from their mothers and grandmothers; it is a generational tradition. The handwoven silk for the scarves comes from the Uzbek Republic and the wool comes from local sheep.  Felt is a sacred material in Kyrgyz culture from ancient times.  According to traditional beliefs, felt protected people from evil spirits and enemy forces, and from harsh temperatures. The felt and silk are seamlessly fused using the traditional technique of wet felting, called “Ala kiyiz”, which has been handed down over centuries by Kyrgyz mountain peoples. The entire process is done by hand, using only soapy water and skill. The fibres are merged by pressing the wet wool on the silk and shrinking it to the desired shape.