Shyrdak (kyrgyz felt carpet) - has one of the most complicated techniques of making among all felt articles. The whole process takes around a year: in spring shyrdak-makers cut the wool, afterwards they wash, dry, swingle, colour, nap and then with the help of boiling water, soap and chiy (chiy - rush mat) felt kiiz (carpet), in this case one coloured. From two kiiz (carpets) of different colours it's possible to make two shyrdaks. Technique of making shyrdak is called "mosaic". Ornament is being marked at the two-layer felt of different colours and afterwards it's being cut countered. The felt is being divided into layers and sewed together in such manner, that pieces of one colour is a pattern, other pieces is a background. During sewing of two pieces felt-makers put between them a lace made of wool (djeek), which differs in colour from pattern and background and by this gives to a drawing expressiveness and prominence.
A pattern made in mosaic technique together with a complementary background creates a wonderful composition, where background is independent pattern, and it's often difficult to understand where the pattern and the background are.
Compositionally carpet consists of central field and a bordering curb, and their range of colours is different in regions of Kyrgyzstan. Usually there are two dominant colours: red and blue, brown and orange, red and yellow or brown and white. Colour combination in bordering doesn't coincide with colours of central field. Mosaic technique is being used not just for making carpets, but also for other articles such as bags for the dishes (ayak kap), plates (tabak kap), pials (cups, chyny kap); bags for storage of different goods.


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