Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
| Created: | 2016-03-09 15:57 |
|---|---|
| Institution: | Department of Archaeology and Anthropology |
| Description: | With livestock breeding being their main economic activity, the Kalmyks always had enough raw material at hand to undertake leatherwork. Traditionally, pelts were processed either in summer or autumn when the livestock was slaughtered. The technology of pelt-processing differed for various livestock depending on their size. The pelt of large animals was processed as follows. At first the pelt was cleaned of impurities, such as fat layers, and dried in the open air. Then it was left in salty liquid with sour whey for several days. After that, the skin was cleaned again, dried, and softened manually or by beating it with a stick. By contrast, the pelt of small animals such as sheep was first salted and then smeared several times with a mix of brine and whey. Once dried, the skin was cleaned and softened by using a knife-shaped wooden instrument. Finally, the skin was smeared with a special home-made powder. In the past, no part of an animal skin was left unused. For example, the belly and leg parts of large livestock, including horses, cows, and camels, were used for the production of belts, stirrups, whips, as well as various bags and large containers such as for keeping or transporting liquid. The head skin was usually used for the production of bortkha, a traditional container to keep milk vodka or water. The skin of small livestock, by contrast, was used mainly to sew clothing such as winter coats, hats, gloves, or used as a bedspread.
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Media items
This collection contains 17 media items.
Media items
Aleksandr Koshevoi, Bortkha
Aleksandr says that usually it takes up to a month and a half for him to produce a single bortkha, which is a vessel to keep alcohol or milk products such as liquid yoghurt. In...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 9 Mar 2016
Aleksandr Koshevoi, Whip
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 9 Mar 2016
Alexei Naranov, About Leatherwork and Crafts
Alexei talks about manual pelt processing, the use of leather in clothing, as well as about blacksmiths and saddles.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 7 Aug 2017
Anastasia Naranova, Ornaments
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 3 Dec 2017
Anastasia Naranova, Pelt-Processing and Working with Leather
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Mon 4 Dec 2017
Andrei Boskhomdzhiev, How to Make Dombra Strings
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 13 Dec 2017
Angira Shaburova, How to Process a Sheep’s Skin
Angira talks about how to process a sheep’s skin: Smear the skin with chigyan (fermented milk) and dry it outside. Scrub the skin with a knife and reapply the chigyan. In the...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Thu 11 Jul 2019
Dordzhi Nandyshev, About How to Process Pelt
Dordzhi talks about how to process cow’s pelt in order to make whips:
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sat 4 May 2019
Exhibition: Leatherwork
This video shows Kalmyk traditional leatherwork displayed at an exhibition at the National Museum in Elista in April 2015.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Fri 27 Jan 2017
How to Make a Whip
In this video a Kalmyk man shows a traditional way of making a whip. It was videotaped at the annual Festival of Tulips held in the Tselinniy rayon of Kalmykia in April 2016.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sat 14 May 2016
Ivan Tserenov, About the Kalmyk Whip
Ivan says the following: The handle of the Kalmyk whip was made from the cherry wood and covered with straps cross-weaved with one another. The whip itself consisted of 6...
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sat 4 May 2019
Khongor Dzhavinov, Crafts: Leatherwork and Smithery
Khongor talks about his skills. He can make boots, keys, and do iron work and carpentry.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 21 Aug 2018
Konstantin Naktanov, About Leather and How Kalmyks Slaughter Sheep
A short interview with Konstantin about processing pelt and killing sheep.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Tue 14 Jun 2016
Nikolai Khatuev, About Whips
Nikolai talks about the importance of a whip for Kalmyk men:
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Sun 5 May 2019
Polina Fedorova, About Leather and Its Uses
Polina explains how people processed sheep’s skin and what items were made from different kinds of leather.
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Wed 1 Jun 2016
Sangadzhi Kononov, About the Magical Power of a Whip
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Fri 23 Dec 2016
Vitaliy Zaseev, An Interview
Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LEATHERWORK)
Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Created: Fri 20 Oct 2017