News

Weaving in Abkhazia

04.08.2016

Weaving is one of the most important ancient branches of domestic crafts of Abkhazians. On the wide use of woven products on the territory of Abkhazia from ancient times discovered evidence in many places on the coast of Abkhazia "textile ceramics" - ceramics with the imprints of both linen and wool fabrics. At the end of the XVIII century Y. Reyneggs noted that Abkhazian beautiful women were good spinners and Abkhazia delivers each year a large number of cotton fabric in Smyrna and Saloniki. At the beginning of the XIX century, the following goods exported from Abkhazia: wood, wax and honey, dreadnought local manufacturing and homespun linen.

Weaving, felting wool and felt production in Abkhazia considered exclusively as women's work. Raw materials for weaving were wool, linen, hemp and cotton. On the loom weaving masters Abkhazian wall carpets, rugs, towels, fabrics for bed linen, male and female clothing. Painted products like plant (bark of oak, alder, walnut) and mineral paints.

Abkhaz woman reputed not only excellent spinners and weavers, but also lace and dressmakers. Of leather or sheepskin they sewed leather cushions and mattresses, fiber hemp rope to snap Willy ships. Especially famous nastenniki of cotton or linen fabric, the length of 10-12 meters, which covered nearly three walls of the guest rooms. These products have no analogues among other Caucasian peoples. Equally distinctive are quad and towels that have been used in wedding ceremonies.

Private photo stand museum shows the different types of the Abkhaz periods, introduces outstanding personalities who have contributed to the cultural, political life in the homeland and abroad.

The population of Abkhazia from ancient times engaged in weaving. This could be show in numerous archaeological findings: clay and stone whorls, traces of tissues on ceramics. Even in the beginning of XX centuries abkhazians bred hemp, from which produced special high-quality rope. Local linen in times of Colchis were exported to the country of the ancient world, which is not worse than Egyptian. Abkhazian women wove homemade cloth, from which sewed for Circassian men, hoods, leggings with knee pads, hunting, herding, children's suits, etc. They were made of cotton, linen, wool and silk: carpets, tablecloths, sheets, towels, etc. Weaving together the production of felt things were one of the main types of women's home production. Girls were taught since childhood.