By Allison Dixon
Daily Bruin Contributor
Before there were cars, mansions or high-tech electronics, the
people of Central Asia used elaborate textiles as status
symbols.
During the 19th century, the textile industry reached an
artistic crescendo, producing magnificent garments as well as
elaborate fabrics for the home. Many examples of this art form are
now on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the
exhibit “A Bold Aesthetic: Textile Arts of Central
Asia” that runs through July 31.
Central Asia was the region that geographically linked the
civilizations of China, India and Iran. This semi-arid region was
filled with cities and caravan stops along a network of trade
routes known as the Silk Road.
As the name implies, the Silk Road was the conduit by which
luxurious fabrics passed between China and its trade partners. To a
lesser extent, other goods such as metals and spices were also
exchanged, as were religious philosophies.
These philosophies emerged in the arts in the form of
embroidered motifs. A beautiful example of this integration can be
seen in a blue silk bag on display in the exhibit. The bag is
decorated in a floral motif that features scattered birds. The
design was inspired by Islamic silks and metal works from Iran.
This type of bag would have belonged to a wealthy woman, as the
rich were the only ones who could afford the costly metal thread
embroidery.
Emirs, nobles and senior officials presented each other with
elaborate robes. The most expensive of these robes were the ones
that were completely encrusted in metal embroidery. A Bukharan
man’s robe that is covered in an interlaced pattern of gold
thread and lined in colorful silk is one of the highlights of the
exhibit.
Other robes on display feature brightly colored silk thread set
against satin fabric. A particularly striking example is a black
robe embroidered in a pattern of large roundels surrounded by
vegetal designs. This motif is emblematic of a general trend toward
large-scale patterns and bold colors that was gaining popularity
during the second half of the 19th century.
While the type of embroidery on these robes was done by
exclusively male guild members, women also performed quite a bit of
embroidery, using less-expensive materials. For most women, sewing
was a means by which to express their creativity. Since women did
not leave the home very often, their free time was usually spent
stitching. “A Bold Aesthetic” features some of the
unique pieces of clothing produced by one group of Central Asian
women during the nineteenth century.
These women created chyrpy, which are stylized women’s
mantles in an unusual form. The mantles look like long coats with
sleeves, but are actually worn on the head. At busy times of the
day women would put the sleeve-looking parts of the mantles on the
crowns of their heads in order to keep the chyrpy from
slipping.
These odd-looking headpieces were mediums by which women could
express their creative side. The chyrpy were decorated with
elaborate designs that varied depending on the artists’
tastes; however, the color of the chyrpy followed a specific code.
Young women wore blue, black or dark green, middle-aged women wore
yellow, and women over sixty wore white.
Nomadic and semi-nomadic women also found expression through
textile design. Many nomadic tribes produced various types of
woolen textiles. Wool fabrics, prized for their aesthetics as well
as their functional aspects, acted as door coverings, tent
fasteners, bags and rugs. These items worked well for nomadic
people because they were warm, portable decorations.
An example of this nomadic art featured in the exhibit is a
small prayer rug made of knotted wool pile. The rug features a
mihrab to help orient its owner toward Mecca. The rug’s
mihrab is another example of the integration of religion into the
arts of Central Asia.
The exhibit also contains many works of ikat silk. Ikat patterns
were made by binding sections of the fabric to prevent them from
absorbing dye. Ikat fabrics were worn by upper-class women in
special ceremonies such as weddings. Two types of these garments
are featured in the exhibit: loose fitting shifts that women wore
over trousers and munisaks, or robes worn by women.
“A Bold Aesthetic” features many examples of
luxurious fabrics and beautiful designs that help illustrate the
societal structures as well as the cultural interchanges that
existed across Central Asia during the 19th century.
ART: “A Bold Aesthetic” does not require an extra
ticket beyond the general admission fee. Adult admission is $7,
student rate with valid ID is $5. For tickets or information call
(323) 857-6000.