"The Kazakhs and Their
Traditional Textiles, Ornaments and Worldview"
with Dr. Alma Kunanbaeva,
Professor of Anthropology, Stanford University
The Kazakhs are a distinct population, now
occupying the largest of the "stans" of the former Soviet Union in Central
Asia, Kazakhstan. Formerly a nomadic people, their history goes back to
before the Mongol invasion of Genghis Khan. The "ornament," or symbol of the
Kazakhs can be found on every item of the traditional household, and the
function and meaning of this ornament are far beyond its decorative purpose.
The idiosyncratic symbolism and sacred meaning of its elements can be read
as a philosophical dictionary; they follow specific rules of grammar and
syntax. Professor Kunanbaeva will try to reveal the cultural code of Kazakh
ornament on traditional textiles, including felts, carpets, trappings and
costumes.
Dr. Alma Kunanbaeva is a
cultural anthropologist and ethnomusicologist specializing in Central Asia.
A native of Kazakhstan, she earned a Ph.D in St. Petersburg, Russia.
She is an author of numerous articles and dozens of entries in Kazakh,
Russian, British, and American encyclopedias, and her book "The Soul of
Kazakhstan," was published by the Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2001. In Russia
she was the Chairperson of the Research Department of Ethnography of the
Peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus, at the State Ethnographic Museum
of the Peoples of the former USSR in what was then - Leningrad. Since 1993,
she has been teaching in various American universities. Presently she is
Visiting Professor in Anthropology at Stanford University, teaching such
courses as "Nomads of Eurasia," "Folklore, Mythology, and Islam in Central
Asia" as well as Kazakh and Uzbek languages. Since November 2006 she has
been president of the Silk Road House- a pioneering nonprofit Cultural and
Educational Center in Berkeley.