Straw weaving (Kazakh Achnatherum splendens weaving technique)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: straw weaving (Kazakh Achnatherum splendens weaving technique)

Applicant: Tuoli County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Project No.: 830

Project No.: Ⅶ - 54

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Tuoli County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Protected by: cultural center of Tuoli County

Brief introduction of straw weaving (Kazakh Achnatherum splendens weaving technique)

Applicant: Tuoli County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

The weaving technique of Achnatherum splendens is called "qituohu" in Kazakh. The Achnatherum splendens hand knitting skill, which is popular in Tuoli County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is handed down from generation to generation by Kazakh women.

The weaving technique of Achnatherum splendens has a long history. Among the cultural relics unearthed from the Kongquehe site in Ruoqiang in the 18th century BC, there are woven baskets of Achnatherum splendens, with straight mouth, drum belly, ring bottom and neck braided with wavy and string patterns. According to the relevant historical documents of the Kazakh, the ancestors of the Kazakh people in the Western Han Dynasty had used Achnatherum splendens to decorate their yurts. Nowadays, the handmade fabric of Achnatherum splendens is widely used in Kazakh social life, and it is still an important part of Kazakh yurt. The main stem of Achnatherum splendens is straight and smooth. Kazakh women use it to weave a leaf similar to straw mat, which is called "qiongmuqi" in Kazakh. Spreading qiongmuqi along the round wall of the yurt can not only protect the yurt from wind, but also prevent the invasion of animals, and strengthen the toughness of the yurt wall. The "qiongmuqi" woven by Achnatherum splendens can also be used to decorate rooms. The baskets, fittings and other daily necessities woven with Achnatherum splendens provide convenience for people's life.

In the process of handmade weaving of Achnatherum splendens, the Kazakh people first bundle the Achnatherum splendens into bundles and dry it in the sun; dye the sheared wool with various colors and twist it into various colors of wool; then wind the various colors of wool on the Achnatherum splendens according to the requirements of the pattern, and cut the two ends together with an axe and other tools after weaving. The content of the pattern is rich and colorful, beautiful and generous, reflecting the Kazakh people's life attitude and aesthetic concept.