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Mongolian
Arts and Culture > Fine Art
> Crafts, Design and Costume
 CRAFTS,
DESIGN AND COSTUME
Mongolian nomads' homes, clothes, weapons, and
way of life are impossible to imagine without Mongolia's unique
crafts, patterns, and embroidery. A special aesthetic has
developed from the common things used in the everyday life
of nomads over thousands of years.
The beginning of the
decorative arts in Mongolia dates back to pre-Bronze Age,
with cave paintings. These can be found throughout Mongolia,
but the highest concentration of cave paintings are in the
mountains of western Mongolia, in the provinces of Hovd
and Bayan Olgii.
The Bronze Age saw the development of molten
metal and zooform art. An example are the "deer stones"
one can find dotting the Mongolian countryside: stone slabs
with simplified, stylized deer carved in relief. Fortunetelling
conglomerations of animal figures and animal body parts characterized
the art of the Hunnu and Bronze Age people who lived in Mongolian
territory.
These peoples also decorated various cloth
with embroidery, developed applique, and stitched felt art.
Hunnu goldsmithing technology developed rapidly, and since
their time, coin design has been paid special attention
by the people of this area. The Hunnu also developed pottery
techniques, such as creating vases by hand or by a turning
method with a lock up mechanism. The Syanbi people made
fur clothes and traveling bags with perforated embroidery,
and their women wore tall headgear. The Uhuani peoples'
leaders were also their expert artisans: they were able
to make bows and arrows, weapons, embroidery, woven items,
and processed leather. During the Tureg Age, people created
silver plates, golden jugs with floral motifs, and linear
animal figures.
The Uighur people were an influential group
who lived in the 8th century. They made gold earrings, horses'
bits for the first time decorated by continuous ornament,
and vases with wave motifs. People of the Khyatan state (911-1115)
capably developed all kinds of craft and embroidery art because
they viewed art and culture to be as important as politics
and government. They elected wise leaders who were equally
skilled in the making of weapons, saddle, bow and arrow, etc.
Many stone masons lived in this century. Also during this
time, a process of firing pottery in green, yellow, and black
porcelain and enamel was developed.
During the time of Chinggis Khaan, traditional
craft and embroidery art were enriched with influences from
foreign cultures. Applique art was dedicated to Buddha and
reached a classical degree of development. This art was
an extension of the early folk embroidery in the countryside.
To decorate the royal palace, exaggerated, stylized forms
of animals on felt and silk were ornately embroidered. In
the largest cities of Great Mongolia were many beautiful
palaces decorated by such crafts and embroidery.
The 19th and 20th centuries made up an energetic
period of development of craft and decoration. At the end
of the 19th century, popular craftspeople, embroiderers, and
artists gathered to create Ganjuur and Danjuur, two books
of about 300 volumes, and Duinhor's Loilon. Tsam dance, a
Buddhist religious dance, flourished in the time leading up
to Communism, and many fine examples of the elaborate constumes
used in the dances can be found in the Fine Art Museum and
Choijin Lama's Museum. Mongolian paintings, sculpture, embroidery,
felt art, leather art, bookmaking, Buddhist prints, and bone,
wood, and fossil amber craft work developed powerfully in
this time.
Mongolians revolted to gain
independence from China and the Manchurians in 1911, and
decided to renew the old monasteries and stations. The People's
Republic of Mongolia was established in 1924 with the help
of the Soviets, and in 1926, by unofficial census, there
were 255 crafts people for silver, 297 for metal, and 85
for embroidery in Mongolia. Soon after, religion was banned
in Mongolia and many monasteries and their inhabitants were
destroyed. Mongolian crafts survived, though, with a new
focus on supporting and promoting the Communist state. Starting
intensively in the 1930s, craft art essentially separated
from the herding life style and became an independent section
of Mongolian art.
Today one can find Mongolian
patterns decorating everything from ancient Mongolia jewelry
to Soviet-style apartment buildings. There are 7000 different
kinds of Mongolian patterns. Ancient patterns include "Sulden
(emblem) khee" very widely used in Mongolia, and 'Galan
(fire) khee." This is a very important pattern today
because Mongolians honor Fire. Many Mongolian patterns symbolize
the wishes and aims of Mongolians.
Traditional Costumes
The main garment is the del,
a long, one-piece gown made from wool or silk. Most Mongolians
have several different dels, appropriate for different seasons,
as well as a more decorative del for special occasions.
Winter dels are often lined with sheep skin. The del has
a high collar, is often brightly colored, is worn with a
multipurpose sash, and is worn by men and women year-round.
Ethnic groups are differentiated by the color, decoration,
and shape of their del.
The khantaaz is a shorter traditional
jacket, often made of silk, which is also buttoned to the
side, and usually worn over the del.
The gutul is a high boot
made from thick leather and sometimes decorated ornately.
They are easy to put on - both the left and right boot are
the same shape. There exist many explanations for the curled,
upturned toe, but the most likely one is religious - the
upturned end touches less earth and therefore theoretically
kills fewer bugs, in accordance with Buddhist teachings
about the non-taking of life.
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