Mongolian Kazakh (2mX1m wall hanging)

This is a Kazakh wall hanging from Western Mongolia dating to the 1970s. These are incredibly rare pieces only found in the westernmost province of Bayan Ulgii, Mongolia. They haven't been made in Kazakhstan for the last 100 years because of the huge influence of Russian culture. Kazakhs from Kazakhstan will say that the only place to see real Kazakh culture is in Bayan Ulgii Mongolia! This piece came from the small village of Sagsai just outside the provincial center of Ulgii. These are hand-sewn wall hangings that would be hung inside of traditional Kazakh yurts, called 'ui's (үй). These are called Tuus Kiiz meaning 'bed felt' in Kazakh. These hung just above the bed which is why the bottom looks to be 'unfinished' in a Western culture sense of the word. However, to Kazakhs, there was no reason to finish a bottom piece which would be forever hidden behind a bed. These were functional as well as decorative. What makes these vintage artisan relics so unique is that every single one created was done by hand in the home with designs passed down from generation to generation. The red border is machine sewn but everything besides that is done by hand. The colored thread was unraveled from clothing because of the lack of imports during Communist occupation. The amount of hours spent on one of these is truly unimaginable to a contemporary. This piece measures to 83.5"x49"