Oriented on making people closer

Today I want to tell you about the jewelry art of the Turkmen people, which is integral part of the national culture and which has enriched the world treasury of values. Turkmen collections of silver are included in the exposition of the best museum collections around the world, and the most sophisticated connoisseurs of jewelry art from many countries often come to Turkmenistan to get acquainted with the phenomenon of genuine art of one of the most ancient nations on earth.

Turkmen jewelry attracts by its originality and unique features – no other nation in the world has anything like it. The jewelry is distinguished by its style, ornament and delicate artistic taste. Dozens of generations of master-jewelers – “zergars” – have preserved this art, passing it on from generation to generation, and constantly improving it.

The Turkmen carnelian is very popular; it is considered a stone of magic and fabulous. Even in ancient times, the Turkmens knew its special properties, the healing radioactive properties of carnelian is now used in modern medicine.

It was believed that carnelian brings the owner happiness and prosperity, protects the family hearth and helps to have good eyes. In Turkmenistan, variety of jewelry made from this amazing stone can be found; it seems like it concentrated all solar energy of hot Turkmen sun.

The jewelry items include women’s bracelets of various shapes, necklaces, brooches of various sizes and techniques, a variety of breast jewelry, small talismans of different shapes, jewelry for a woman’s headdress and special head jewelry for young girls, handbags, temple pendants and earrings, wedding neck jewelry, etc. All these items are made of carnelian, silver and engraving gilt, and have a special shape with a complex ornament, which is a kind of Turkmen symbol.

Turkmen jewelry is a special art tradition that accompanies a person from birth to the death. Faithfulness to their national traditions is the main quality of Turkmen jewelers. An interesting fact is that many distinguished Turkmen poets were jewelers, and the most famous among them is the Great Makhtumkuli.

Art is meant to bring people of different nationalities closer and give them the opportunity to better know and understand each other. Austrian jewelry lovers are already familiar with the Turkmen “zergars”. Thus, several times, Vienna hosted exhibitions and presentations of jewelry by Turkmen masters that were of great interest in the country.

When visiting Ashgabat, be sure to see the National Museum of Turkmenistan. Catch chance to admire the extraordinary jewelry collection of Turkmen masters, which is simply breathtaking and arouses deep respect to virtuosos who created these masterpieces of national art.

Neda Berger, ORIENT correspondent in the press service of the Chancellor of Austria