Arts & Crafts

The art culture of the country counts more than 8 milleniums. First on rock images were found by archeologists in Shakhty Grotto in Gorny Badakhshan (the Pamirs) at the attitude 4,100 m aove sea lavel. They belong to the so-called "marcansuy" culture, most high-mountainous culture of the Stone Age in the world.

The Tajiks had a rich and old cultural history as witnesses by the excavations at north Tajikistan (wild ram's head cast of bronze - 5th - 3rd century BC, magnificent example of Scythians "animal style"), at south Tajikistan (gold buckle from Parkhar - 1st - 2nd century), at Penjikent (wall paintings, wood carvings and clay sculptures - 5th - 7th century), the architectural monuments of Samarkand, Bukhara, Istravshan, Khojent and by many illuminated manuscripts.
 
Prior to the spread of islam into Central Asia in the eigth century, artists and artisans were not limited in the choice of subject matter for the decoration of their walls, textiles, costumes, jewelry and everyday objects of wood, metal and clay. Patterns and motifs reflected ancient and deeply embedded animist and shamanist beliefs and traditions from the nomad world, as well as the long-term cross-cultural aesthetic influences of Persia, Europe, China and India, and the religious influences of Buddhism and Zoroastrianism.
The brilliant period for the art of the 6th - the first decades of the 8th centuries was interrupted a little later in the same 8th century by the Arab conquest followed the islamization of the western Central Asia. Arabs wiped out all traces of pre-islamic culture, ruined palaces width splendid wall-paintings, burnt up remarkable Middle Persian and their contemporary Central Asian (Sogds, etc.) memorial-writings. Later on the art in Tajikistan became more and more decorative like that of the whole Islamic world.

The local masters began to learn about western art through Russia, and internationalization of the Tajik culture began in the turn of XIX-XX centuries. Painting by oil on a canvas becomes one of the main conductors of European art practice. Painting in workshops, and many genres - portrait, still-life, and sculpture and monumental art develop gradually.

Nowadays, alongside width traditional crafts, skilled craftsmen even more often use original mixed technique, and their works become intricate in from. The artists fall outside the customary limits, enriching inner contents of their works.

Wonderful monuments to carving, remnants of ancient embroidery, majestic paintings and other pieces are evidence of the high interest in art and handicrafts. Until recently there were  blocks of weavers, potters, braziers, and smiths in the towns. Within the last 100-200 years, the Tajik handicrafts have not remain unchanged, however.

Nevertheless, some of the ancient handicrafts, especially the more artistic have been preserved. Embroidery in particular may be seen on clothes (waist shawls, women's dresses, embroidered skull-caps) and on everyday domestic articles.