The paper describes the traditional and modern jewelry art of Kazakhstan. Regional features of artistic metalworking in Western, Central and Southern Kazakhstan are highlighted. The author shows how jewelry canons are changing in the works of modern masters.

Keywords: traditional and modern jewelry art of Kazakhstan, zergery, usta, sheber, Kazakh decorative and applied art.

Jewelry traditions of the Kazakh people, the origins of which go back to the techniques of artistic metalworking of early nomads, were developed in the Middle Ages, were influenced by many Eurasian cultures and acquired their complete appearance simultaneously with the formation of the Kazakh ethnic group. Researcher of traditional Kazakh culture E. A. Masanov divided metalworking masters into blacksmiths-usta and jewelers-zergers-silversmiths. According to the legendary tradition of the Kazakhs, the first blacksmith, jeweler and patron of the first 40 masters was Daoud Paigambar (the prophet David). His name was associated with the origin of metalworking and the emergence of all crafts. It is said that Daoud's hands were never burned by fire; he kneaded metal like dough without using a tool. Obsession with the spirit of the Great Prophet defined the Zerg master's vocation.

Jewelry art, the nature of which was considered sacred by the Kazakhs, according to folk tradition, was a chosen cause, sometimes associated with suffering and diseases [Tokhtabayeva, 2005, p.215]. The Kazakhs had an idea of the miraculous power of people associated with red-hot metal, and their places of work were revered. In the workshop, it was forbidden to talk about bad things, swear, shout, step over an anvil, bellows and other tools. Kazakhs not only revered the attributes of metalworking, but also believed in their healing and apotropaic properties. The people have preserved numerous stories about how infertile women and mentally ill people who spent the night near the bellows or anvil were cured: in the evening before this, the master lit a candle - so that the spirit of usta, protecting him, could come to the light and help the patient.

The choice of craftsmen, the complexity of jewelry technology, the knowledge and skills passed down by inheritance, the availability of special tools, and so on. they determined the jewelry specialization, which was reflected in the special status of this craft [Masanov, 1961, p. 156].

Silver dominated the subject world of nomadic culture. It was believed to have a purifying and protective power. Kazakh zergers were traditionally known for such techniques as engraving, black, enamel, scanning and graining, stamping, chasing, notching, silvering and gilding, cutting precious and ornamental stones [Ibid., p. 159]. The products of Kazakh jewelers were very diverse. Household items, horse harness, weapons, and clothing were decorated with silver, gold, and bronze overlays, etc. Making jewelry was the main business of master zergers.

The men's jewelry complex included: kumis belbeu-a ceremonial printed belt, shytyrly belbeu-a belt with decorative elements, Kemer beldik-printed belts with small details and large fasteners, kise beldik-a hunting belt, morili zhuzik-signet rings, as well as various types of edged weapons that were distinguished by exquisite decorative design. The heroic status of the warriors of the Kazakh epic was emphasized by the beauty of their ammunition; the hero had a "steed under the sky".

the saddle was made of cast gold, its harness was made of printed gold, and the stirrups were forged from the most sonorous gold in the world "[Kazakh Heroic Tales, 2001, p. 20].

A special place in the traditional repertoire of Kazakh jewelers was occupied by women's jewelry, which marked the social and age status of their owners, as well as provided them with magical protection. The sophistication of jewelry was seen as an integral part of women's beauty. Kazakh folklore presented the world with samples of lyrical descriptions of heroines: "Well, go to the bazaar of Bukhara, there you will see yarn, the one that silks are more delicate and longer than the lasso, and then you will only be able to imagine what braids the khan's daughter has. And then go to zergeru, he pours twisted bracelets of pure gold. Ask him for the golden button, and then you can only imagine what kind of head I have. ... And then go to the blacksmith, he pulls the wire from silver ingots, and then you can only imagine the hands of the beautiful daughter of the khan... "[Ibid., p. 37].

Jewelry was an attribute of women from an early age. Their absence, according to Kazakh tradition, symbolized mourning. A woman without jewelry was compared to a tree without leaves: ashekeyi jok ayel japy-ragy jok agashpen ten-  (Tokhtabayeva, 2008, p. 97). In general, the traditional Kazakh women's jewelry complex was very complex and focused on the symbolism of fertility.

The most expensive in cost and complex in execution was the bride's headdress-saukele. Its shape dates back to ancient times. Archaeological data indicate the continuity of the tradition of women's high ceremonial headdresses in the territory of the Irtysh region since the early Middle Ages [Usmanova and Logvin, 1998; Zakharova and Khodzhaeva, 1989, p. 216]. One of the travelers who visited the Kazakh steppe at the end of the XIX century described saukele as follows: "The bride's head was decorated with a kind of headdress - a wedding cap. It was made of red velvet, shaped like a sugar loaf, the cap was richly decorated with silver plates, pearls and corals, the bottom was trimmed with fur, from which several rows of silver plates hung down to the forehead. On both sides of the cap, wide ribbons, also decorated with corals, pearls and silver plates, hung down on the chest" (Bukeevskaya Horde 200 years, 2001, p. 289).

A knowledgeable person could determine the origin of the girl by saukele [Kazakh national clothing, 1998, p. 13]. Placing it on the bride's head was accompanied by a special ceremony; the woman performing it received a special gift from the groom - saukelenin baigazysy (lit. payment for saukele) [Shakhanova, 1998, p. 55].

The headdress of the saukele was a set that included, according to the descriptions of the XIX century, tobel-dyryk-pommel caps, magdai-monchakh-decoration for the forehead, jak-monchakh-decoration for the temples, sagaldyryk-kumis - decoration of the chin, chashbau-balgauza-decoration for the back of the head (Shormanov, 2007, p. 49).. Until the mid-19th century, a zere was worn under the saukele, a small cap decorated with embroidery and gold embroidery. In the past, zere was also called the "ring for the nose" (CGA RK, f. 4, op. 1, d. 2815, l. 6ob.). A yellow cape made of light red cloth was attached to the top of the saukele's head (Makovetsky, 1948, p. 343). Elements of the saukele were also ukiayak, a chest charm with real or stylized owl claws, and tumarsha, a triangular chest charm.

The master usually worked on saukele for a year. The cost of some samples of this headdress at the end of the XIX century was very significant. In the Bukeevskaya Horde, for example, according to X's data. Argynbayev's richly decorated saukele was estimated at 1 thousand rubles. in Semirechye, such a headdress cost the bride's parents 2 thousand rubles in silver [Argynbaev, 1987, p. 68]. According to S. Kasimanov, in the Younger Zhuz one of the saukele samples was estimated at 500 dairy mares [1995, p. 165]. According to steppe customary law, the saukele was the property of a woman and returned to her family if she died childless (Makovetsky, 1948, p. 343).

The bride's outfit also included jewelry: shekelik (temporal), tamakalka, tamaksha (neck), alka, onirzhiyek, tumarsha, boitumar (breast), sholpi (hair), belbeu (belt), shashbau, syrga (earrings), bilezik (bracelets), sakina (rings), zhuzik (rings).

The complex of decorations for mature married women included: tana, tasty salpynshak, zharma-round badges, tuyreush-brooches, shash kerme -a nape clip for hair, arka alka - ornaments for the back of the doublet, akyk-charms-amulets, kemer belbeu-belts with badges of different shapes and sizes, kapsyrma-clasps for camisole, belbeu-belt, shashbau, sholpa-hair jewelry, syrga-earrings, bilezik-bracelets, sakina-rings, zhuzik-rings. Belts, rings, and bracelets were very diverse in size, shape, and decorative design. With age, women's jewelry became more and more modest. She wore rings and bracelets until she was very old; it was considered that the food prepared by a woman who did not have silver on her hands was unclean.

Traditional Kazakh decorative and applied arts were characterized by stable forms and content. Ethnic features of the world perception, a set of spiritual values and aesthetic criteria contributed to the formation of the following characteristics:

artistic canons. In the traditional jewelry art of the Kazakhs of the XVIII-XIX centuries, there are three complexes: the first - in the West, the second - in the North, Central and Eastern, the third-in Southern Kazakhstan and Zhetysu.

Jewelry of Western Kazakhstan famous art critic Sh. Zh. Tokhtabayeva refers to the category of artistic phenomena; they differ in technique (stamping, overhead filigree, grain, low-relief embossing, black), shape (large-scale, sculptural filigree volumes in the form of spiral cones, hemispheres), monumentality of the artistic image. The products of this complex are similar to the ornaments of the Turkmens, Karakalpaks and peoples of Dagestan (Tokhtabayeva, 2008, p. 98).

Ornaments of Northern, Central and Eastern Kazakhstan are distinguished by the presence of stone and glass inserts, multi-frequency shapes, elongated silhouette, and an abundance of pendants. Some samples are close to the products of the Bashkirs, Kazan Tatars, and Kulja Uyghurs [ Ibid., p. 99].

South Kazakhstan and Zhetysu are characterized by the integrity of forms, the use of enamel and high color saturation. Some samples resemble the products of Uzbek and Tajik jewelers; Kazakh masters learned from them the techniques of working with blue enamel, but surpassed their teachers in the breadth of their repertoire [Ibid., p. 100]. Kazakh zergers embodied their own vision in the image, relying on a variety of traditions and original performance techniques.

In the 20th century, Kazakh jewelry art experienced a decline due to the political and socio-economic peculiarities of the Soviet era; the number of orders was reduced, and there was no access to raw materials - precious metals and stones. Continuity in the transmission of craft technologies was disrupted, and the dynasties of masters were interrupted.

The situation began to change in the 1980s, when schools and universities in Almaty, Semipalatinsk,Chimkent and other cities of Kazakhstan began to train specialists in the field of decorative and applied arts, including metalworking. Almaty State Theatre and Art Institute (now the Kazakh National Academy of Arts named after T. Zhurgenov) became one of the centers for training master zergers.

By the beginning of the XXI century, a galaxy of outstanding jewelers had formed in the republic, combining traditions and innovations in their work. Among them - Ilyas Suleimenov-winner of many prestigious awards, who developed the conceptual style of "Eurasian ethnomodern"; Krym Altynbekov-recognized artist-restorer, author of reconstructions of rarities of the Scythian-Saka era of the Kazakh steppes; famous applied artists Amangeldy Mukazhanov, Serik Rysbekov, Serzhan Bashirov, Berik Alibai and others.

Modern zergers actively experiment with shapes, materials, technologies, work with platinum, gold and silver, use ornamental and precious stones and enamels. In creating an imaginative system, they turn to both the archaic and the modern. Today, jewelry is one of the most successful areas in the Kazakh decorative and applied arts. It has acquired the status of a professional artistic activity. Products of Kazakh masters are successfully demonstrated at national and international exhibitions.

Kazakhstan has adopted several programs aimed at reviving traditions. The state program of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Cultural Heritage", originally designed for 2004 - 2007 and later extended to 2010, defines the prospects for the development of traditional and modern crafts in the country.

The Presidential Center of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been established in Astana, the restoration department and the jewelry workshop are headed by Berik Alibai. He is a hereditary zerger from the Dulat tribe of the Elder Zhuz, graduated from the N. V. Gogol Almaty Art School and the Almaty State Theater and Art Institute. Today, B. Alibai is a well-known artist and jeweler in Kazakhstan and abroad. He makes jewelry, amulets, weapons, belts, metal installations, works with platinum and gold, but prefers silver. B. Alibaya is distinguished by its traditional technology. Being a professional artist-restorer, the master works a lot with jewelry of the XVIII-early XIX centuries. Sometimes he reproduces old things, trying to preserve the original tradition. The jewelry made by B. Alibai has the character of prestigious symbols. Often he is ordered wedding sets for brides and the so-called matchmaker's rings (massive rings with two or three shinki), which are usually given to the groom's mother. These ornaments today, as before, occupy a significant place in Kazakh culture, are part of ritual gift exchanges that mediate relations between people.

B. Alibai's creativity is characterized by the richness of the decor, the volume of structural forms, and the wide use of texture and plastic effects. In style, his works resemble silver jewelry of Western Kazakhstan, which Sh. Zh. Tokhtabayeva defines as jewelry with low-relief embossing, a figurative role of overhead filigree and grain, as well as with blackening. Fluent in the jewelry styles of Central, Southern and Western Kazakhstan, B. Alibai strives to

follow the West Kazakhstan traditions, because they most of all, in his opinion, reflect the originality of the Kazakhs ' artistic thinking, associated with the worship of the greatness of the steppes and the historical past. This selectivity shows the peculiarity of modern decorative and applied art of Kazakh masters, who focus not on clan preferences, but on stylistic variability and the emerging national flavor.

B. Alibai's art is recognized both in Kazakhstan and abroad. The master's works are in private and museum collections in Turkey, Malaysia, Qatar, France, Armenia, Russia and other countries. B. Alibai is an Honored Cultural Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan, winner of the President's Award of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a special certificate of the republican contest "Zerger-99" - "For devotion to jewelry art", a certificate of the First Kazakhstan State University of Fine Arts. contest of artisans " Sheber-2009 "("Master-2009") in the nomination " Toltumalyk "("Identity"). The jewelry art of the master zerger from Astana retains a pronounced ethnic character. His interest in historical roots and national culture is the basis of his creative work, which organically combines traditions and innovations.

The focus on cultural diversity, reflecting the revival and enhancement of the national heritage, as well as the dynamics of modernization processes, determines the current trends in the development of jewelry and all decorative and applied arts in Kazakhstan. This state-supported strategy allows preserving ethnic identity, as well as actively participating in the global artistic process and turning the values of the Kazakh people into the heritage of all mankind.

List of literature

Argynbayev Kh. Казак халкынын колонері. Almaty: Oner Publ., 1987, 128 p. (in Russian)

The Bukeevskaya Horde is 200 years old. Almaty: Olke Publ., 2001, Book 5, 304 p.

Zakharova I. V., Khodzhaeva R. D. Golovnye ubory kazakhov (opyt localnoy klassifikatsii) [Headwear of Kazakhs (experience of local classification)]. Traditsionnaya odezha narodov Srednoi Azii i Kazakhstana [Traditional clothing of the peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan], Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1989, pp. 202 - 226.

Kazakh heroic tales. - Semey: Mezhdunarod. Abay Club, 2001. - 384 p.

Kazakh national clothing. - Almaty: Didar, 1998. -80 p.

Касиманов С. Казак халкынын колонері. - Almaty: Kazakstan, 1995, 240 p. (in Russian)

Makovetskiy P. E. Materialy dlya izucheniya yuridicheskikh uslug'ev kirghizov [Materials for studying the legal customs of the Kyrgyz]. Almaty: Zhalyn Publ., 1948, pp. 320-392.

Masanov E. A. Jewelry production. Blacksmithing and jewelry crafts in the Kazakh village / / New materials on archeology and ethnography of Kazakhstan. Alma-Ata: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, 1961, pp. 156-170.

Tokhtabayeva Sh. Zh. Silver path of Kazakh masters. Almaty: Daik-Press, 2005, 474 p. (in Russian)

Tokhtabayeva Sh. Zh. Masterpieces of the Great Steppe. - Almaty: Dyke-Press, 2008, 240 p. (in Russian)

Shakhanova N. The world of traditional Kazakh culture (ethnographic essays). Almaty: Kazakstan Publ., 1998, 184 p.

Shormanov M. Kazakh folk customs. - Astana: Limited Liability Partnership "Scientific and Production Fund "Eco"", 2007, vol. 4, pp. 42-59.

Usmanova E. R., Logvin V. N. Zhenshchie nakosnye osobennosti Kazakhstana: (epoha bronzy) [Women's nakosny jewelry of Kazakhstan: The Bronze Age]. - Lisakovsk: Karaganda State University named after E. A. Buketov; Kustan State University named after A. Baitursynov; Lisakov. museum of the History and Culture of the peoples of Russia. Pritobolya Publ., 1998, 64 p. (in Russian)

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Photo report by A. V. Terekhov

Andrey Vladimirovich Terekhov was born in 1970 and started working as a photographer in a children's photo studio in 1985. In 1995, he graduated from Kemerovo State University of Culture and Arts. Since 1998, the company has been operating in-

melts as a photojournalist in the media of Kazakhstan. Since 2000-employee of the republican weekly newspaper "Karavan", photojournalist in Astana and the Akmola region. Collaborates with various publications and agencies.

1. Berik Alibay, a jewelry artist, on the background of his installation "Kyzyl Zhebe" - "Red Arrow" and a knife with a scabbard-pyshak kynymen (steel, silver, coral, turquoise, leather, bone; false grain, scan, oxidation).

Berik Alibay from the Botbay-Konyrbay clan of the Dulat tribe of the Senior zhuz grew up in the village of Kyzylsay in the Merken district of the Dzhambul region. As a child, he often resorted to the blacksmith shop of his grandfather Alimbai,who was a famous master. When Berik became a jeweler, his relatives gave him old tools. According to tradition, the master's things should not leave the family - they contain his soul and strength.

2. Bilezik-bracelet made by B. Alibai (silver; false filigree, false grain, oxidation; inserts: chalcedony, carnelian).

3. Zergera tools.

4. Presidential Center of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Malika Kempirova in a national outfit with jewelry made by B. Alibai: onirzhiyok-breast pendant, syrga-earrings, zhuzik-rings.

In the old days, goldsmiths began their work with a prayer: "Bismillah iske cam bolsyn; ye azreti Er Daut, oziniz koldaniz, bismillah rahman rahim" - " May good luck rule Khazret Er Daut, support ". B. Alibai, waiting for the inspiration and support of the Almighty and the spirits of his ancestors, begins each new task by touching the tools. So did his grandfather Alimbay, so will his successor. The master's hands transform the world and people according to the laws of beauty, restore the lost values of the past.

5. In the jewelry workshop of the Presidential Cultural Center. Adjustment of jewelry design based on old samples.

6. B. Alibay at work on the bracelet (soldering of the decorative figured lining).

Kazakh tradition gives zergers, who have power over fire and hot metal, the gift of creators and healers. Turning a shapeless flaming mass into exquisite ornaments, they complete the work of the Creator, bring harmony to the world. Such a master, according to the apt folk expression, "temirge til, zhan-kaga, Zhan bitiretin" - " taught iron to speak, put his soul into a chip."

7. Women's jewelry made by B. Alibai: bilezik-bracelets, ukiyak-breast decoration-amulet with "owl's claws", syrga-earrings, zhuzik-ring (scan, false grain overlay, blackening; inserts: turquoise, carnelian, coral).

8. Kristina Khaibullina tries on jewelry made by B. Alibai-the set "Zhar-Zhar", named the same as the wedding song.

9. Kudagi zhuzik - "matchmaker's rings" by B. Alibai (silver; scan, false grain, oxidation; carnelian inserts).

The traditional craft of Kazakh zergeroes was based on the knowledge of family secrets of skill. According to ancient canons, stones in jewelry should be covered. Their depth and radiance became a mystery. The nature of the stone, the luster of silver, and the light of a woman's eyes were all at Zerger's mercy. Setting a woman's beauty in silver, the jeweler revealed her secret.

10. Selection of stones for women's breast jewelry boitumar.

11. Restoration of traditional ornaments of the XIX century from Western Kazakhstan in the Presidential Center of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhs have a proverb: "Bir ayel bolsa da, zerger zhumyssyz kalmaidy" - " As long as there is at least one woman, the jeweler will not be idle." Jewelry of a good zerger working under the patronage of ancestral spirits carries a charge of its power and is a benevolent wish. Jewelry adds completeness to the appearance of a woman, emphasizes her dignity, saves her from diseases and troubles. The love of jewelry, the ability to wear it and protect it is part of the traditional Kazakh culture.

12. A box with a set of traditional Kazakh jewelry.

13. The artist-jeweler B. Alibay in the national robe shapan with a saber kylysh of his own work.

14. Pyshaktar kyndarymen - knives with scabbards made by B. Alibai (steel, silver, turquoise, bone, carnelian, leather; false grain, scan, oxidation).

In the workshop of B. Alibai, the culture of nomads appears not only in the variety of women's silver, but also in the sophistication of edged weapons. According to the adat of the Kazakh steppe, only weapons gave the right to vote at the general meeting. Masters were recognized by their knives. The making of weapons began with the supreme blessing: "Pirim Er Daut sen kolda! Sen koldasan men munda " - " Support the feast, Er Daut! If you're ready ,I'm here." The willingness to create forever remains the privilege and test of the master.

15. B. Alibai with his students-masters of the Department of restoration and jewelry workshop of the Presidential Center of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

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