Antonina M. Syazi

THE DECORATIVE-APPLIED ART

OF KHANTY POPULATION

OF THE LOW OB

Tyumen 1995

 

 

MUNG ULOPSAV Ч OUR LIFE

 

Theаа longаа processаа ofаа ethnogenesis and ethnical history of khanty people, their vast and isolated settlements, contacts with neighbours led to a complicated character of our people's culture. As an ethnical community the khantys were formed in the I millenium B. C. Ч I millenium A. D. as a resultаа ofаа mergering process of southern ugor tribes with the tribes of hunters and fishermen of the Transural taiga.

Theа peculiaritiesа of languageа and culture of different khanty groups were mentioned in the literature not once. The researchers single out three large groups of khanty people: northern, southern and eastern.

ааа Thisаа albumаа representsаа illustrations of clothes, footwear, household utensils and cult objects of northern khanty living along the rivers Synya, Kunovat and on the territories close to the Ob river (Shuryshkarsky region Yamalo-Nenetz autonomous okrug).

 

Being reindeer-breeders, fishermen and hunters Northern khanty mainly live in tents of skins and wooden houses. Hunters and fishermen have up to four seasonal settlements and each of them has a special dwelling. But a reindeer-breeder whereever he comes sets up and uses only a tent of skins. Anyаа building for a man or an animal is called khoi. The name of material it is made of (birch, ground or plank), the time of its usage (winter,а autumn,а spring,а summer) sometimes its dimensions and shape and also the purpose of its usage (e. g. for dogs, deers, etc.) are added to the word "khot". Some of these khots are stationary, others are mobile, they are easy to be set up and dismantle. The khanty people also had a movable dwelling Ч a large sheltered boat.

The Khantys like many other people have differentiation between men and women in making household things. Men made things out of wood, leather, bone; women sew clothes of fur, cloth, and used glass beads.

Man and nature, art and nature have been tightly connected for ages. The nature arouse imagination, perfected the sense of beauty which was formed inа the working process. As far as the population of the northern territories is engaged in fishing, reindeer-breeding and hunting the skill of sewing fur clothes is well developed here. Even nowadays the native peoples wear fur clothes decorated with fur mosaic and coloured cloth.

For ages the khanty people had been creating their own vision of the world,аа motifs,аа decorativeа patternsа andа art principles, expressing moral and aesthetical ideals of the khantys. Having been closely connected with everyday life, the khanty people's art had been developed not only in connection with thier labour but also with their holidays as one of the important forms of people's culture.

The typical feature of the khantys' culture is that ornamentation of a thing takes no less time than making a thing. Traditionally the thing is ready for usage only when it is ornamentated. Due to this decorative pattern in khanty culture is rather stable and "dies" together with the thing itself. Sometimes the decorative pattern outlives the thing, appears to be moreаа stableаа because it is used with non-traditional things and is included into new culture.

Creating the new elements of ornaments: separate motifs traced back to the ancient times of the northern people (the cult of water, fire, different nature phenomena) aа northernа man idolized many objects,аа worshiped them, felt himself a part of this large world.

аааа Any peolpe's art of making different material things cannot be separated from their oral and musical folklore, forming the single unity of folk poetry. Myphopoetical images having had in antient the magic and ritual meaning were transformed but they preserved their aesthetical sense, emotional expierence of the main living principles. They are carefully passed on from one generation to another.

National clothes are the brightest expression of fine arts of any people. One of the merits of theа northern people clothing is itsа practicity. It is suitable not only for the severe climate of high latitudesа but also for the work and life of people in tundra.

аааа Khanty of sinsko-kunovatsky and nizhneobsky areas wear various clothes. Men and women wear fur clothes most of the year. Men's fur clothes Ч molsyangа (malitsa)аа areа sewed of thin reindeer fells (neblui) with fur inside. It isа the so-called blind clothing Ч withoutаа front cut,а it is put on over the head. As people say "You come in one hole and come out throughаа threeаа holes". Onlyаа sleevesаа ofаа malitsaаа areаа decorated, sometimes a pattern is made between a skirt and malitsa's bodice itself.а Veryа often this place isа decoratedа by several strips and the ornament in the form of triangles made of coloured cloth. Sleeves are decorated with more complicated ornaments, the ornamentation design ofа the skirt is smaller in size. Goos or kuvas is put on over molsyang in severe frosts. It is sewed of the more rich autumn fur of white or particoloured reindeer with fur outside. The back of kuvas is decorated by the strips of the coloured cloth. A complicatedа coloured cloth pattern is stitched on the sleeves. Goos has no mittens for they are attached to malitsa.а In summer and autumn-spring periods they wear nui kuvas made of thick cloth which defends a reindeer-breeder or a hunter from rain andа wingedа blood-sucking insects.а Unlikeа winter goos nui kuvas has mittens made of the same material as latter one and attached to it. Sleeves like in malitsa are decoratedа by patterns of coloured cloth. Very often skirts and hoods are piped by the coloured cloth or materials both for decorationаа and inаа orderаа toа prevent the edge of materialа from unravelling. Boys' clothesа areа sewedа like men'sа andа differ only in size. Clothes for children are decorated more than for grown-ups.

Women's winter and summer clothes are yery practical and nice. Looking at a fur-coat (sakh) people in the North can have an idea of the skill of the woman, who has made it. So without the skill to sew fur clothes it is impossible to survive in severe climate. Choosing a bride young reindeer-breeders first of all find out if she can sew and after that clear upа the rest information about her. Fur-coat is cut through, has no hood and its flaps are tied up by doe-skin braids, a collar is usually made of fur-skinа animals and very seldom Ч of reindeer fur. This fur-coat is worn together with a hat decorated by an ornament and metal pendants, as well as very often with a beautiful cashmere shawl. A fur-coat may be either decorated or not. The fur of neblui (the 3Ч4 months young deer) is used for such coats. Lining is also made of a young deer fur but at the age of 4Ч5 months. A holiday fur-coat is richly decorated. The main decoration is a geometric pattern which is arranged along the flaps and girdles the coat between its bodice and the wide stitched on strip at the bottom on the skirt. Besides, vertical insets with ornaments in the main seamsаа of the bodice on the back and on the either sides are obligatory. Cuffs' and shoulder seamsаа are also decorated. Aаа fur coat bottom usually has more complicated ornaments with many geometrical patterns. Each of them has its own sense, name and symbol. Nui sakhЧ autumn-spring women's clothes are sewed of different types of cloth. For the holidays are used red, green, blueаа and yellow cloth and for everyday usage Ч grey and black cloth. Nui sakh is richly decorated as well as fur coat. At present glass beads are used to weave the ornament, then it is sewed on the cloth strip and after all Ч on the nui sakh.

Besides the overcoats the kharitys of this region sew nice national garments. As a rule everyday garments are made of printed cotton, sateen and flannel. For the festive garments they use rich colourаа silksаа and decorate them with plain strips of different fabric. These articles are of rich colours.The traditional cut of such a garment is a yoke on the front andа back, long sleeves,а theа quadrangle of the same or different fabricа is sewed onа underа the armpit. The upper part of the garment under the yoke is folded. Collar is usually simple like in a shirt. The collar is either buttoned up or has a zipper. The cuffs on the sleeve are usually decorated, the skirt is piped with material.

Above the dress women always wear many beads and breast decoнration woven of glass beads in the form of geometrical pattern and is worn above the dress. On the Kunovat river and near the village Azovy national dresses differ from those sewed on the Sinya and Voikar rivers. The yoke is sewed on higher, a flounce with stitched on strips made of another fabric is sewed on to the lower part of the main stature, the flounce is piped. The cotton dressing-gown is put on above the dress, it has an applique made of another fabric.

аааа Man'sа shirt is made of the same material as woman's dressing Ч gown. It also has a yoke decorated with small patterns or strips made of another fabric. The hem of a skirt is decorated by appliques on fabric. The special type of applied arts of the khantys living in this area is making bags. So many women liveаа in the North, so many kinds of bags they have got. They are used as suitcases,а bags for household things and hand bags.

The bags may be of twoа types. Oneа of them are small-sized and vertically stretched,а they are called tuchang. Each skilled woman making clothes has such a bag. The upper part of the bag is made of rovduga (leather) and tied up by the leather strip. The lower part is more firm and is almost always made of skin-pelt taken off reindeer's head. Women decorateа theirа bagsа usingа various pendants with rings, chains, coins, beads and also with dried reindeer teeth and hoofs of the newborn deers. Theseаа bags are used for storing needlework accessories, pieces of fur, strips ofа colouredа cloth,а ornamentalа patterns,а needles, thimble, tendon threads, etc.

ааа As a rule a needleholder (a long fur strip made of a forehead part of reindeer's head)а is fastened to the upper part of the bag. A coloured cloth is sewed on to theа leather part of the strip for needles. A small rovduga (leather) pocket for thimble is sewed on to the lower edge of the needle holder.а The needleholder folded intoааа two parts with fur outside is tied up by a rovduga lace. A white reindeer hair taken from the fur under the neck is often sewed in the seams of the needleholder with accurate small stitches with tendon threads.

The other bags (ur khir) are large, horizontally stretched and used as suitcases during migrations.а Small things are kept in them. Ur khir are sewed of short-haired fell taken from the foreheadаа part of a reindeer. The top of such bag as well as tuchang consists of rovduga strip occupying about one-third of the bag and is tied up by rovduga laces. Various patterns decorateаа suchаа bags. Each ofаа themаа has its name and a strictly geometricalаа character,аа symbolizing Northern fauna.

Bags forааа shoesаа are sewedаа ofаа thickаа cloth;аа they are vertically stretched. They are richlyаа decoratedаа similarly to furаа bags. National pillowcases, knip-sacks for tobacco areаа also sewed of thick cloth. They are decorated throughout the whole length.

ааа Much attention is paid to children toys. Dolls are dearly decorated with glass-beads, theyаа have fur and fabric dresses. The khanty people have a doll known for its sacred function;аа it is called ittarma. In the opinion of native people it is the image of a dead person into which the soul is moved after death. 'Ittarma is made in five days after a man's death and in four days after a woman's death. Making ittarma they take a new cloth folded into two and in the point of bending a knot of hair of the died person is fixed. Then the doll is wrapped into a cloth and is put on a sakh (for a woman) and a molsyang (for a man). In a small wooden or birch bark box they make a bed with a pillow for the doll. This box is placed on an honorable place. While ittarma is at home, it is treated like a living person. It is put into bed at night, in the morning it is raised, dressed and is seated in the box. It is given food and it "eats" together with the family.а The doll-ittarma livesа at home for differentаа periods of time depending on the area where it is. For some khanty groups it is 4 years (women) and 5 years (men), for other groups it is 4 or 5 months correspondently. After that the doll is brought to the forest and put into a special barn or to the cemetery.

ааа The artistic treatment of hard materials is not highly developed. It is considered to be man's work.аа Strict carved patterns decoratedаа wooden snuff-boxes,а women'sа boardsа for cuttingа furа and boards for beating snowаа offаа shoes. Nowadaysа it is rarely done. Reindeerа hornsаа andа bones,аа mammoth tusks are used to cutаа devices for fastening tendon threads, figures of animals and various decorations for reindeers harness. Concerning decorative arts the role of khanty woman is very important. Using various materials, knowing their properties every woman brings her own peculiarity in decorative design at the same time sticking to common norms artistical heritage obtained. Every time she chooses what is necessary for this very material and the purpose of the ornament, aims at creating accurate andа clearlyа cut forms. In creative process a womanа either splits ornament orа generalizes it,аа gives up unnecessary detailsаа or enrichesаа motifsаа withаа new elements. Theаа form of the decorated object, size and configuration of the section to be decorated are of great importance here. Sometimes it is necessary to narrow or to stretch the elements of the pattern, to frame by the ornament a square or a round object. As a result ornaments alter and differ from similarly designed patterns on other objects. Sometimesаа such a difference leads to dissapearance of resemblance between the motifs of the common origin and the same form. These distorted motifs may be taken for the motifs of anotherа origin. Theа general character of theа ornamentа styling,а also turns out toа be different.а In one style the externalа contours ofа the motifs are of straight lines, in the other Ч of curved or broken lines; sizes of patterns are changed, correspondingly.

All what has been mentioned lead to arising of the new forms on the basis of the old ones sometimes sufficiently alter the whole domains of the ornament. And as a result there appears the impression of their dependence on other spheres of decorative art.

Let us consider the geometrical ornament and its symbols in decorative-applied art of Nizhneobsky khanty.

The ornament made of pieces of light and dark reindeer fur is the most typical one. Its motifs have straight or stepped configurations and are rather large in size. Ornaments on the fur garments are constructed of wide strips breaking under the right or obtuse angle. Approximately the same ornaments are used in spring Ч autumn clothes Ч nui sakh. In private life women do not often use the sacred ornament and it can be groupedа asа follows:аа fauna,а floraа andа ornaments connectedа with human body parts. Let us give some examples.

Eudokia Konstantinovna Rebas from the v. Ust-Voikary uses inаа her clothes the so-called motifs pernayang nyokhas 'sable with a cross-shaped head', ay lov ungal khanshi 'ornament of foal's mouth', pernayang khanshi 'cross-shaped ornament'.

Anastasiya Tikhonovna Toyarova from the v. Lopkhari uses the ornament khor ongat khashi 'horns of reindeer Ч khorаа ornament'. This motif is widely spread within the territory mentioned and is very often met in nui sakh and also in fur clothes. Looking at the ornaments on the clothes we very often see patterns connected with the horns of a reindeer: un khor ongat 'horns of the large reindeer Ч khor',а ai khor ongat 'horns of the young reindeer Ч khor'.

Natalya Gavrilovna Longortova from the v. Evrigort in her fur-lined coat uses the ornamentаа lookа khanshiаа 'wood-grouse ornament' and on the sleeves lov ungal 'horse's mouth'. These patterns are not complicated and are also used practically in all hand-madeа articlesа with fur, glass-beads and cloth.

A. P. Manyamova from the v. Vosyakhovo in her fur-coat uses the motifs kitpus kurang voi ongat 'double alt's horn' and kitpus lov nyal 'two-fold nose of a horse'. The woman works creatively and she puts her soul into the ornament.

ааа Maria Semenovna Nenzelova uses the motifs connected with flora: sumat nuv 'birch branch' and moltas loity sumat nuv 'separate birch branch'.

Fauna in the ornament of birch-bark cradle is presented by Natalya Longortova from Evrigort. Kalang ongat 'reindeer's horn' is skillfully done by scraping.а Besides reindeer's horn there can be seen ai kurang voi ongat 'horn of a young alt' made with the same technique. These are day cradles with backs where children can seat all day long.

In woman clothes made of cloth are used simple ornaments because complicated ornaments can be distorted while being sewed on the nui sakh. It is usually used okh pusakh 'heads', sovar pal 'hare's ears', khor ongat 'reindeer horns'. Lubov Prokopievna Togacheva, for example, uses the motif khoo shoop 'half of a man'. This ornament is often used in summer clothes andаа in winter clothes by the masters-beginners.

The khantys applied art of this region as the art of every people has its own peculiarities, its expressive means. Those who want to study it will understand beauty and expressiveness of khantys' art, its meaning and everlasting aesthetical values.

The materials given are collectedаа by joint expeditions in 1988Ч 1989 organized by the Okrug centre of national cultures (Salekhard) and Estonian national museum (Tartu). Leaders of the expeditions:

P. E.а Saltykov and A. A.а Saar.а Pictures are made by the estonian painters:аа A. A. Enkhielm, V. I. Serglov, K. K. Erm, K. P. Villemson, A. V. Tynison, T. I. Kyakhr, M. A. Khunt, I. A. Erm, T. Vysu.

The initiators of compiling the album are the Administration of Yamalo-Nenetz autonomous okrug and A. M. Syazi Ч Head of the Laboratory of ethnographyааа and ethnolinguistics of Yamal, Institute of Northern Development.