Kazakh Crafts

The challenging conditions of nomadic life on the vast Kazakh steppe, coupled with the harsh realities of subsistence farming, compelled people to create everything they needed themselves. This necessity gave birth to the Kazakh tradition of folk crafts, where items were designed to meet the practical needs of the people and were seldom used for trade. In the nomadic culture, craftwork was divided by gender: men specialized in working with wood, metal, leather, and other materials requiring strength, while women focused on crafts that demanded patience and precision, such as processing felt, wool, weaving, and embroidery.

With Kazakhstan’s integration into the Russian Empire in the early 19th century, the rise of trade diminished the role of folk crafts. However, the influx of new materials enabled artisans to expand their creative possibilities and introduce fresh ideas. This led to the emergence of individual specialists producing goods primarily for sale. Today, Kazakh handicrafts embody the country’s rich nomadic heritage and are largely sought after as gifts and souvenirs.

Wood was a vital resource for Kazakh nomads, serving as the material for their yurt frames, furniture, dishes, and various household items.

Woodworking first gained prominence in northern Kazakhstan due to the region’s abundant forests and eventually spread across the country. The most essential aspect of this craft was yurt construction, particularly the production of kerege (the lattice walls), yuk (roof poles), and the shanyrak (the central yurt ring). Crafting a durable and precisely shaped yurt frame required exceptional skill, and the shanyrak—often passed down through generations—was sometimes adorned with intricate carvings.

Beyond yurt construction, artisans also made saddles, tool handles, and wooden chests. Musical instrument crafting, especially the making of kobyz and dombra, was considered a specialized craft requiring a high degree of expertise.

While metals were less commonly used, blacksmithing played a significant role in the nomadic lifestyle. Blacksmiths created essential items like horseshoes, stirrups, harness parts, knives, and other tools. Though metalworking was not widely advanced in Kazakhstan, trade gradually introduced imported goods, replacing much local production. Nevertheless, Kazakh jewelers preserved their metalworking skills, a tradition that continues in the present day.

Leathercraft held great importance in Kazakh daily life. Nomads produced winter clothing, hats, saddles, and armor from the skins of wild and domesticated animals. Some items, such as leather garments, were highly valued for their quality and comfort, becoming popular trade goods in Silk Road bazaars. Kazakhs also made leather vessels for carrying water and koumiss (fermented mare’s milk). Shoemaking was another valuable craft, with Kazakhs wearing leather boots year-round. Though traditionally seen as a male profession, women also participated in leatherworking.

Felt production and processing were central to Kazakh nomadic life, with women playing a crucial role. Felt was used primarily to cover yurts, but it also served as material for shoes, slippers, and various types of clothing. It provided the foundation for tekemet carpets, which covered the floors of yurts, as well as tuskiiz carpets, which decorated yurt walls. Carpet weaving, whether from wool or thin strips of fabric, was an ancient tradition, and in earlier times, mat weaving was also widespread.

Kazakhstan boasts a long-standing tradition of jewelry-making, with artisans mastering metalworking techniques such as forging and stamping. While most jewelry was crafted from silver, gold was also used for certain pieces. Kazakh jewelers created rings, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and even clothing adornments like buckles and buttons. Bone carving was another significant craft. Artisans would carve intricate figures from animal bones and horns, and thinly carved bone plates featuring delicate patterns were often used as inlays for furniture.