Umai: A Masterpiece of Ancient Artistry and Modern Design

Marina Begman's Award-Winning Rug Design Inspired by Turkic and Mongolian Legend

Named after Umai, a benevolent spirit and patroness of children and women in Turkic and Mongolian legend, the rug's design depicts the goddess's golden hair flowing in the wind. The rug is crafted from one hundred percent natural sheep wool, hand-felted and hand-stitched, with colors derived from herbs. The texture of the wool is beautifully highlighted through the natural color combination and detailed stitching.

The creation of Umai is a complex process that follows the ancient techniques of shyrdak making, a method included in UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safekeeping. The wool, sheared from sheep in the spring, is washed, dried, colored, and pressed into sheets. These sheets are then cut into intricate patterns and hand-stitched together, resulting in a soft, thick, high-quality carpet.

Umai is not just a rug, but a piece of art that can adorn a floor or a wall. It also serves practical purposes, helping with acoustics to limit noise pollution and regulating temperature by retaining warmth when it's cold and keeping a space cool when it's hot. Additionally, it's antibacterial and doesn't absorb odors.

The design process involved extensive research into the shyrdak making technique and Central Asian legends. This included academic research, traveling to the remote mountainous region of Naryn in Kyrgyzstan where the technique is still practiced, and interviewing elder women artisans. The legends were studied through Central Asian literature and interviews with a university professor on Kyrgyz literature and history.

Despite the challenges of the labor-intensive process, which cannot be replicated by a sewing machine and requires the wool of six sheep for a single 3m by 2m rug, the final product is a testament to the beauty of handcrafted art. The rug, with its gradient wool shades and fine hand stitching that creates a volumetric texture, is a tribute to the ancient nomadic technique and the goddess Umai, protector of women and children.

The Umai rug, a unique blend of ancient artistry and modern design, is a testament to Marina Begman's commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship while creating functional art for the modern home. This design, which won the Silver A' Furniture Design Award in 2020, is a shining example of the beauty that can be achieved when tradition meets innovation.