Kazakh Tekemet Felt

Ornament & symbolism

In a tekemet the coloured wool is laid out and rolled directly into the felt, so the horn scrolls have soft, melted edges. The warm ochre ground recalls the late-summer steppe.

TekemetTekemet — A Kazakh pressed-felt rug: the design is laid in coloured wool and rolled directly into the felt, so the motifs look soft-edged.FeltFelt — A non-woven textile: wool fibres are matted together with moisture, heat and pressure. The base of nomadic floor coverings.Kochkor-müyüzKochkor-müyüz — The ram's-horn motif — a pair of curling spirals. The most common steppe symbol, standing for wealth, abundance and fertility.

History

The tekemet is the everyday felt of the Kazakh home — quicker to make than a cut-mosaic syrmak and softer underfoot, with patterns that look hand-drawn.

Suits these interiors

Soft, ochre and forgiving — a cosy choice under a coffee table in a warm, earthy, layered room.