- You’ve likely never visited Kazakhstan.
- You probably live at least 10,000 kilometers from Almaty, the largest city in the country, and may not even know its name.
- Is there modern jewelry-making there? (Spoiler: there is now!)
- Can jewelry art combine the past and the present? (Another spoiler: it can!)
Once upon a time, there was a remarkable jewelry tradition in Kazakhstan. Highly symbolic, it reflected the nomadic essence of its people, their beliefs, and their family traditions. Under Soviet rule, however, much of the country’s traditions were lost. When an independent Kazakhstan emerged in the 1990s, a new period of jewelry art emerged. This article is about some of the modern jewelers of Kazakhstan. I’d bet you know nothing about them, but their art is unique and fascinating.
The Kazhak jewelry artist Zhanna Assanova founded the Syldyr project, an initiative that exists to contribute to the development of contemporary jewelry in Kazakhstan.[1] She shares the story behind its creation: “I chose the name Syldyr because it means ‘chime,’ in Kazakh. It refers to the sound of traditional hair adornments made from miniature silver coin-like pendants on thin chains, which announced the approach of their owner. They are attached to the hair (braids) as well as to the temple.” The adornments are called shashbau. (In Kazakh, shashin means hair.) According to legend, the melodic jingling of the shashbau protects its owner against evil spirits.
Assanova has created work inspired by this traditional jewelry. It’s called Find Your Voice. “In my design,” she says, “the coins are sealed shut with melted plastic, preventing them from chiming. I see this as a metaphor for the silencing of women’s voices. Do we even hear our own voices?”
The chiming of the Syldyr project heralds something new and exciting for the Kazakh jewelry scene. To give some context, Assanova describes a few key examples of traditional Kazakh jewelry. In fact, almost every stage of Kazakh life is accompanied by jewelry. For example, a man’s mother puts earrings on his future bride, signifying an intention to marry. “This is somewhat analogous to the Western engagement ring,” says Assanova.
“The act of putting on the earrings is a whole ritual that can’t be ignored,” says Assanova. “The girl wears these earrings until the wedding.” This tradition continues today. Assanova herself received earrings. “I plan to pass mine to my daughter,” she says, “should she ever wish to have them.”
Another traditional adornment, the two-finger ring Kudagy Zhuzik, is also known as the Matchmaker’s Ring. Traditionally, the bride’s mother gives it to the groom’s mother a year after the wedding. “It fits two fingers—the ring finger and the middle finger—symbolizing the union of two families,” explains Assanova.
Kazakh jewelry art has undergone various phases, from the Kazakh Khanate[2] through the period of erasing traditions during the Soviet era to the revival of interest in cultural roots in the 1990s, when the country gained independence. Throughout these changes, the connection to mythology and mysticism remained, regardless of the historical context. Jeweler Serzhan Bashirov, who participated in the Syldyr project, shares a story from childhood. “I went to the museum with my grandmother and saw a cracked carnelian,” recalls Bashirov. “My grandmother explained that it didn’t crack because it was dropped or hit, but because of the ‘evil eye.’” People believe the bright red color absorbs bad energy and gradually cracks as a result. If the stone contains a hole, it means the bad energy passed through it.
But how do contemporary jewelers combine traditions and modernity? Jeweler Tabigat Kuzhanbayev, a participant in Syldyr, shares his perspective. “My name translates as ‘nature.’ I try to work in a way that doesn’t harm nature. I create everything using found materials. Often, even my granddaughter brings me things she finds on the street!”
The tumar (or tumarsha), a traditional Kazakh amulet, might have a triangular shape but could also be cylindrical. The small casket opened, to place a note inside. This letter contained words of support from a mother to a daughter who was getting married. When the girl, now a wife, faced difficulties in her marriage, she opened the amulet and read her mother’s message to find comfort. “My jewelry doesn’t open,” says Kuzhanbayev, “but its shape references this traditional item. At the center is a portrait of Queen Tomyris, a warrior from the Kazakh steppes, as if gazing at us through the porthole of a spaceship.”
Ecological aspects and the sense of belonging to and loving her homeland also present themselves in the works of jeweler Gulnara Urisbayeva. “The main theme of my works for the Syldyr project is the issue of disappearing water resources in Kazakhstan,” she says. “In the Aral earrings, a shape shows what the Aral Sea looked like in the middle of the 20th century and what has happened to it over just about 50 years.” Intensive irrigation and the development of hydroelectric power in the region has caused 90 percent of the sea to dry up. “This is one of the largest environmental catastrophes of the 20th century,” says the jeweler.
Urisbayeva’s Caspian necklace depicts the Caspian Sea and its delta from space. Five countries encircle this body of water: Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran. “The current state of the sea is close to catastrophic due to the active extraction of oil from the seabed,” says the jeweler. The necklace’s shape references the form of the alqa, the Kazakh chest amulet which protects its owner from misfortune. “In this way,” says Urisbayeva, “I wanted to create a kind of protective amulet for our unique Caspian Sea.”
Raim Kenzhebayev currently lives in Austria, where he studied under Petra Zimmermann. When I look at his earrings, I immediately picture steppes, powerful horses, and daring riders.
“Throughout my life, I’ve often faced expectations of what it means to be a ‘true’ Kazakh: to follow a certain religion, to honor traditions which often felt unfamiliar or foreign to me. My demeanor and outlook have been subject to criticism,” says Kenzhebayev. “I believe that, despite cultural norms, we should all have the freedom to define our own identity and the role of heritage in our lives. I want the wearer to do whatever they like with the earrings—cut, reshape, dye them, or simply leave them as they are.”
Kenzhebayev originally planned to use an organic material. “At first, I considered human hair, but it felt too heavy and almost overwhelming given the intimacy and emotional weight associated with it.” He chose horsehair instead. “For me, animals, particularly horses, feel less complicated and lighter, as I have only positive associations with them. This decision made me think of home, as horsehair symbolizes Kazakh culture for me, its deep connection to nomadic life, and the significance of horses. Growing up, I often heard stories about horses being noble companions to humans.”
Educating the local public about a new field like art jewelry is no easy task. Nonetheless, says Assanova, “I’m confident that we have the potential to creatively reinterpret and tell the story of national traditions, to showcase our artists at international exhibitions, and to host contemporary jewelry events in Kazakhstan.” I wish her the very best in these efforts!
[1] Pronounced sɯlˈdɯr. The Syldyr project’s team also includes Katia Rabey and Yevgenia Kazakova. In 2024, they organized the Treasure Island exhibition, at Forte Kulanshi Art Space, in Almaty. The show’s primary goal was to introduce conceptual jewelry to the Kazakh audience. The exhibition featured jewelers from all over the world, including renowned international stars. All of the artists featured in this article participated in Treasure Island.
[2] A Kazakh state in Central Asia that existed from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
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