Assyks, shashbau and chests – artist in Shymkent decorates New Year tree in ethnic style
An unusual New Year tree, decorated in ethnic style, was presented by a well-known Beisbekov family in Shymkent. Instead of traditional balls and bells, the four-meter-tall tree was “dressed in” handmade Kazakh souvenirs and installed at the Beisbekovs’ Altyn Orda Art Gallery, Kazinform News Agency reports.
As Bolatbek Beisbekov, head of the creative dynasty said, the idea of decorating the New Year tree in such an unusual way belongs to his granddaughters.
Our New Year tree is one-of-a-kind. There is the President’s New Year tree, the governor's New Year tree, and the Beisbekovs’ New Year tree, he says.
Indeed, the main symbol of the New Year, which attracts visitors’ attention at the gallery, is unique for its ethnic-style decorations.
The tree is adorned with shashbau - traditional hair ornament, worn by Kazakh girls and women, assyks - talus bone of a sheep, which the Kazakh boys used to play with, lyanga – another valuable thing in all boys’ games, made of a piece of goat or sheep skin, with a 2-centimeter lead “button” sewn to it. Lyanga was a popular game both among the rural and city children. With the spread of internet, these games become forgotten. We decided to remind of them, Bolatbek Beisbekov notes.
Of special interest are the toys made in a shape of Kazakh national furniture - small chests decorated with embossed leather, tiny cupboards for dishes and food, small wooden beds, and yurts for which this furniture was assembled.
One can put small gifts in the chests hanging on the tree, for example, silver jewelry - rings, earrings, and sweets for children. The chests that we hang on our New Year tree symbolize wealth, prosperity and abundance. Kebezhe is another piece of furniture that could be found in each yurt. Women used to store food in them. Each toy on our New Year tree has a deep meaning. Tossek agash - a wooden bed - symbolizes hospitality. We hang it on the tree to welcome more kind guests in our home. White shashaks with tiny bells symbolize snowflakes. We also made them with our own hands, says the head of the family.
The unusual New Year tree was also decorated with tens of toys made of pottery, liquid stone, wood, felt, metal and leather, and animal figurines. According to the artist, these miniatures remind of the times, when the ancestors of Kazakhs lived exceptionally by cattle-breeding.
We want children and adults to remember or learn more about the Kazakh traditions, games, and rituals. We want them to know how their ancestors lived in yurts and how they used to farm. Not many people even know that the right side of the yurt was used by women, and the left one was for men, that there was a khan’s yurt (ruler’s yurt), yurts for guests, for newlyweds, and for hunters. Their decoration also varied. Currently we are creating decorations for the guests’ yurt. Fully decorated tiny yurts can be used as visual aids at schools and kindergartens, he adds.
By tradition, the Beisbekov prepare a festive program and gifts for their relatives, who will come to them to celebrate the New Year holiday.