The tradition

Kyrgyz felt-making is mountain art. The shyrdak is a mosaic carpet: two layers of contrasting felt are cut to the same pattern and inlaid so positive and negative trade places — a curl of horns reads red on white in one half and white on red in the other. The softer ala-kiyiz is pressed rather than cut. The craft is on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage in need of safeguarding.