SILK BONDAGE

Have you ever experienced the touch of silk made in Azerbaijan? It is an amazing fabric! It personifies the powerful energy of love and the stir of a steppe wind, the generous heat of the sun and the freshness of a morning high in the mountains, the exhilarating power of the sea and the centuries-old wisdom of a nation which has managed to preserve the heaven-sent secrets of the magical gift of silk. 

Green tea and silk threads 

Historians have established that the use of silk thread as a raw material was invented in China. A fabulous legend is attributed to the discovery of this thread. Imagine the picture: a Chinese princess enjoying the cool of the shadow of a mulberry tree on a hot day is drinking her favourite green tea. The girl is incredibly pretty and beautifully dressed. She has exquisite, Oriental-style make-up and very long finger nails. Suddenly, something falls into the fine china cup. Surprised, the girl looks at the unexpected visitor and picks it out with her nail, and...finds that something is stuck to it. She shakes her wrist and sees a thread, finer than a spider's web, stretching from her wrist to a small cocoon falling away. The beauty tries to shake the thread from her hand, but in vain. The thread hanging in the air will not break, only stretching and becoming longer whenever she moves her hand. The legend has it that this Chinese beauty was the first person to witness the emergence of this thread, which sparkled in the sun, and immediately ordered her servants to sew a dress for her with the fibre. They certainly had no idea how to do it but complied in fear of the whimsical beauty's wrath. We don't know how this story ended, but the whims of the Oriental princess were undoubtedly a boon to women throughout the world to this day. This is the origin of a fabric considered to be more valuable than gold for many centuries. Seemingly, there was some kind of magnetic power in the fabric, which made it more and more enchanting and captivating. It is called silk, the magical thread of the Orient. It is amazing how many things have been made from silk. They used it to sow tapestries and clothes, and to weave carpets. Besides clothes, they made kalagay (headscarves) in ancient Azerbaijan. It has been an inseparable part of a woman's national costume for centuries. It was used differently in the various Azerbaijani regions, both in the combination of colours applied and the garments made. 

We recall a story about a queen from Shemakhi clothed in silk. It is a true story. The Czarina did exist, and so did the silk she was wearing. And the dress was fabulous! How about Duke Grigori Gagarin's work entitled "Shemakhinka"? The character's square-shaped fabric worn on top of a small, round-shaped hat was the previously-mentioned kalagay. Moreover, a silk thread in the form of a hand-made braided string made of coloured silk fibre was threaded through the belts on skirts and wide trousers. The "chakhchur" was made exclusively from silk and consisted of two separate trouser-legs which were not sown together in the middle but were draped at the ankle. They were further folded and cuffed, and silk socks were then attached to the cuffs. An Azerbaijani woman was not supposed to show a single inch of her body. In cities and in the villages outside cities, women used to wear charshabs (veils). The wives and daughters of well-to-do men wore silk carsabs, while those from the lower classes wore atlas or cotton. It was a piece of plain or checked fabric covering the body from head to toe. But even while wearing charshabs, city residents did not forget to cover their head with a silk scarf. 

The making of kalagay is very ancient, unique skill and has no equivalent in world culture. The silk-producing centre set up in Baskal, one of the country's most ancient towns, by people who cherished the historical and cultural values of their homeland (R. Ibrahimbayov and D. Tariverdiyev), is engaged in studying the technology of silk production. The aim is to keep alive the art of scarf-making which has existed in Azerbaijan for a millennium. And this is more than mere words. The centre is conducting consistent research to find evidence. These true patriots are searching for different kinds of proof, including that found in the verses of ancient poetry and even in the soil around the scientific silk centre, in order to restore hand-made silk production to Shaki and kalagay-making to Baskal. They are studying locations where the craft was practised throughout history. One of the enterprises grew and bred worms, while another sewed silk canvases, and yet another dyed the fabric and made garments. The entire process has to be restored in order to revive the traditional crafts of the Azerbaijani people, provide people with jobs, preserve the skills that were passed down the generations and thus to hold on to what might have been lost for good. This has happened in the past during times of turmoil, economic crisis and political change. This is why the "Kalagay" project was developed with financial aid from the Japanese embassy in Azerbaijan. 

Young female artists were drawn into the implementation of the creative part of the project. As well as traditional historical garments, they managed to develop designs for headscarves in the spirit of the present day, to expand upon the usual variety of colours, diversify shapes, to make sure that this head-dress becomes part of the contemporary woman's wardrobe, regardless of her nationality. 

Flower quarry, little Sah...

A design is cut on the "galib" stamps which are used to introduce patterns onto the surface of silk fabric using hot batik. The stamps are carved out of hard pear or walnut wood; metal is also used, as it is more durable. A thin line of pretty flower patterns of the "iris", "cherry flower", "white grape" or "black grape" type appears. Timber stamps were used to make such patterns as "flower quarry", "little Sah", "oak", "orange", and "sun". It is impossible to enumerate all the patterns, as their number increases as research continues and numerous moulds are found in the ground during excavation work. It is as if the soil itself is helping with the revival of this ancient craft. 

Baskal is a remote mountain town populated by craftsmen who were involved only in the making of kelagays. And now, when times have changed and there is no way to engage in hand-made crafts, kelagay-making is under threat, as there are very few craftsmen left. Many of today's youngsters are unwilling to do this work, as the job is laborious and badly paid. For example, when a seven-colour kelagay (yeddi reng) is made, the craftsman has to lower the silk fabric into water at a temperature of 80 degrees nine times! The job is traditionally done by men, due to the hard labour required. The designs on kalagay are not just a certain set of geometric patterns, but a special, encrypted language of symbols with a specific content. For example, the kelagays of the Baskal region are known for the density of their patterns. Moreover, a pattern is divided into the two areas of human existence - life on earth and in the mountains, which is attributed to the hovering of the human spirit. A circle consisting of four sections symbolizing perfection, or a "navel" as it is known by craftsmen, is placed in the centre of the scarf. This signifies the perfection pursued by a person from the day he or she is born. 

The Baskal centre has revived not only the almost forgotten technique of hot batik, but has also restored the technology of junction painting. This is a very ancient method of painting which has already begun to bring results today. Women in Baku like silk kelagays very much. Foreign visitors have also developed a taste for them and happily buy them as Christmas presents for their relatives, or use them as accessories to their own evening gowns. They are not worried if they see a coloured spot on the border of their clothes; on the contrary, they are pleased to find proof that the clothes are hand-made, one-of-a-kind and of high quality. Unfortunately, we tend to take little interest in things we are supposed to know just because we were born in this land. To fill the gap, enthusiasts are in their second year of work on the opening of a silk museum. They are currently scouring villages across the country, searching for spare parts for ancient looms. One may come across such looms on counters in Icari Sahar (Old City), the historical area of downtown Baku. Fragments of medieval silk fabric produced in ancient Azerbaijan and then exported to Russia, Europe and the Middle East are sought. These activists are also trying to restore the ancient lived environment of those of our forefathers who were engaged in silk-making and dying kelagays. The museum will be interactive. Citizens will be able to travel there and create their own designs. 

There are women artists in Azerbaijan today who are fascinated by working with hot batik and creating interesting silk canvases. The first specimen of this art or, at least, an art portrait, was recorded by Nizami, according to some. This was the portrait of Alexander the Great made by servants of Queen Nusaba. This is how it happened. The great conqueror paid the queen a visit disguised as a traveller, but her wit, prudence and feminine insight allowed her to work out who he really was from his posture, manners and opinions. Showing no sign of recognition, the queen continued her conversation with the visitor. When it was time for a meal, she ordered the setting of a huge plate of precious stones before the starving Alexander. He was utterly amazed and indignant. But Nushaba gave him thus a lesson in Oriental wisdom which was that, in order to live, a man needs food - bread, water, wine and grapes - and that, for all their glamour, precious stones cannot satisfy hunger. 

Then she confessed that she had recognized the conqueror and presented him with his own silk-made portrait as a gift. Alexander was astounded, not only by the intelligence, but also by the talent of the queen (this is recounted in Nizami's "Iskandarnama"). 

This fact is further proof that the art of hot batik is one of the most ancient traditions of the Azerbaijani land. So is the account of the presentation to Ivan the Terrible's of a pair of taffeta gloves decorated with pearls. At that time, the dense silk fabric produced in Azerbaijan was already popular in Russia and was referred to as "shemakheyka" (taffeta). It was considered a prized and expensive gift. Silk fabrics in Europe as they were very hygienic and convenient for domestic use. Silk was used for bed-sheets, underwear, courtiers' clothes and even for walls in houses. Descriptions of our land, citing the fabulous fabrics made, were written by Alexander Dumas, Marco Polo and other well-known figures. In many Eastern countries, silk is still held in high esteem. In Japan, for example, it is still a custom to present a piece of natural silk when proposing to a bride, as silk is considered a symbol of well-being. Cosmetics containing silk are also becoming fashionable. 

Sayings and rules

Silk is a material with a kind of live energy. A variety of myths, sayings and moral taboos, which modern-day people consider superstition, circulate about the process of its creation. The craftsmen working for the Centre of Silk found the outline of the traditional, Muslim-style five-finger hand and wrist on one of the kalagay, with braided garments and inscribed with the name of Allah. The outline was very distinct and sparked utter amazement, and even fear, among some. In a bid to find an explanation for this incredible find, the kelagays were brought to a Seyid (a person who guides his generation according to the Prophet Muhammad). Having looked at the inscription, he said it was Allah's blessing upon a wholesome activity aimed at the revival of national crafts. This is true; this unique national tradition should not sink into oblivion like so much else that we have already lost. Thus preserving the art of kslagay-making is the priority of its craftsmen's descendants. This explains the effort, knowledge and personal contributions being made towards restoring the process.  

This silk "bondage" - for those involved in the process - has become the focus of their lives and their artistic joy, which gives them the sense of a life being lived with a purpose. Thanks to their dedication, silk is entrancing other people as well. This magic fabric does indeed draw in those who have been touched by it at least once in their lives and who are forever captivated. 

The process of transformation is a continuous one, in silkworm-breeding facilities with racks where boxes full of silkworms are kept at warm temperatures. A butterfly emerges from the cocoon but, over five millennia, it has lost the ability to fly due to human "intervention". Within two weeks, the butterfly is continuously laying eggs the size of poppy seeds. Many years ago, women used to wrap these eggs in gauze, place them in their bosom and carry them until they felt some movement. The worms were then put into boxes and grown. The process was accompanied by a number of axioms that had to be followed religiously. One of them was that one should not brag about their fast-growing worms, otherwise the worms would die. A gozmunjugu (amulet) was therefore laid at the entrance of the silk-breeding facility. One was not supposed to enter the room wearing golden or silver jewellery, wristwatches, while in bad mood or after having a bad dream. These sayings appeared in different versions, but this set of rules, developed over centuries, probably has some merit. Perhaps little worms, unlike humans, are able to sense and react to vibrations at a higher level. 

The same holds true for the process of kelagay-making. There is a plethora of sayings and rules that are never, under any circumstances, violated by present-day dyers. Some of these people come from families that have been involved in this craft for eight generations! They know perfectly well where a certain pattern should be placed and how to do it, in which order the dye should be applied (only natural dyes are used), and how to make sure that the wax (specially mixed to spread slowly) does not leave spots. 

Kelagays, women's head-dresses made of silk, were traditionally produced in the towns of Shamakhi, Ganja, Shaki and Garabagh. They were hand-made and differed from one another in the density of braided silk, quality and patterns. These were silk scarves that were colloquially called "qaz-qaz", "naz-naz" and "orpak". These items were worn in different ways in different regions of the country. In Nakhchivan, for instance, they first put on an "arakcin" and then the scarf, attached to the hat so that its edges stream beautifully, laying on the woman's shoulders and covering her hair and dress all the way to her back.

How many cocoons should be grown to make one silk scarf, given that a cocoon weighs 1 gram, while the weight of a 150x150 centimetre-sized scarf is about 150 grams? It is worth mentioning that the length of thread obtained from one cocoon ranges between 350 and 1100-1200 metres. Tens of kilograms of thread are produced from 30 grams of silkworm eggs. To be sure that the thread is pure, it must be attended to thoroughly and consistently throughout the growth of the worm. Worms eat a lot and the waste has to be cleaned out regularly to ensure that the produce is of high quality and the thread iridescent.

A peculiarity of natural silk thread is that is does not flare, deflecting sun light, but it is iridescent under light, displaying various shades of colour and creating special visual rhythms and the sense of a rippling surface. Another distinct feature is that during dying it does not absorb the dye entirely but is covered by a layer on the surface. Silk thread is quite strong, and is used to make parachutes and parachute shrouds for the air industries.  

Azerbaijan is in much need of a silk museum, if only to regain contact with the great enigma of the mysterious gift left to us by our ancestors. The language of these messages, like a code, has yet to be deciphered in order to communicate this mystery to people.