Orenburg shawl
Orenburg shawls (Russian Оренбургский пуховый платок / Orenburgskij puchowyj platok; literally: Orenburg down shawl ) and head scarves are knitted from goat wool garments of the Russian regional arts and crafts. The special thing about them is that they are made from handspun goat winter hair that is combed out the animals; usually they are hand knitted. Orenburg shawls are warm, light, soft and fluffy. They are a very well-known in Russia symbol of Russian folk art because of their fine quality - as, for example, matryoshkas, Khokhloma, from Tula samovars, pottery from Gzhel or lacquer miniatures of Palekh.
These large for " Orenburg kind of" knitted cloths are traditionally made in the Russian city of Orenburg and depending on the style and size as a shawl, scarf, poncho or shawl worn over the shoulders thrown.
History
In 1743, the fort and the city of Orenburg was founded. The Orenburg Cossacks settled since 1574 in this region in the Urals. The Cossacks took over from the long-established population, the art of knitting with goat wool to protect themselves from the harsh climate. The production of the Orenburg shawls and headscarves was a popular craft among the Cossack women.
The beginnings of the Orenburg Orenburg knitting can be traced back 250 years, until the 18th century. († 1777 Russian Пётр Иванович Рычков; ; * 1712), a Russian geographer and local historian of the Orenburg region, in 1766 in his work "The experience with goat wool" (Russian " Опыт о козьей шерсти " ) first Pyotr Ivanovich Rytschkow has for pronounced in the Orenburg region to build a knitting industry. Later, the Academician Pyotr Petrovitch has Pekarskij (Russian Пётр Петрович Пекарский; * 1828, † 1872) wrote about the lives of Rytschkow and described him as the founder of this craft in Orenburg, which feeds many people there.
After the meeting of the Free Economic Society (Russian Вольное экономическое общество ) ( 1765-1918 ) on January 20, 1770 Orenburg shawls were known far beyond the borders of Orenburg. At this meeting, Pyotr Rytschkow was excellent " Thank you sign for his efforts for the production of cloth made of goat hair " with a gold medal.
Because the most artistic scarves came with this knitting technique from Orenburg and since the best embroiderers masters lived in the city of Orenburg, all manufactured in this knitting technique scarves were called Orenburg shawl gradually. In ancient Russia, the wealthy people bought for their wives from Orenburg shawls, as they protect very well against the great cold in Russia. Due to its fluffy consistency they were comfortable to wear and kept very warm.
At the Paris World Fair 1855, the Orenburg shawls were first exhibited internationally. At the Great Exhibition in London in 1862 received the knitter M. Uskowa, a Cossack woman awarded a medal for their shawls from goat down.
The height of their popularity had the Orenburg shawls towards the end of the Russian Empire (1917 ). At this time also began in the UK to manufacture similar shawls " according to Orenburg Art".
Orenburg goat
The wool for the Orenburg shawls is obtained from the Orenburg goat, a specially bred breed of goats ( goat wool ). The downy hair of Orenburg goat are the thinnest world. They have a thickness of 16-18 microns, while the angora goat - also a wool goat - downy hair with a thickness of 22-24 micrometers. Therefore knitting products from Orenburg goat wool are particularly tender and soft. The strong growth of the warm fur goat breed was influenced by the dry frosty winter the region covered by snow storms ( Orenburg Buran ) to be accompanied and also from the plant food of the mountain steppes of the Urals. The goat's wool is more durable than sheep's wool. The region of Orenburg has long been known for their extensive goats.
The Orenburg goat thrives only in the Orenburg region. Attempts by the French in the 19th century to keep them in France, ie outside the Povolzhye region from which they originate, were unsuccessful. They lost in France very quickly their coveted fluff hair and got an ordinary thick skin. In the 18th and 19th century Russia exported tens of thousands of kilograms of goat fluff to Western Europe. Also present considerable amounts fluff from Orenburg goats are exported to Western Europe.
Macharten
There are different types of Orenburg shawls:
- Simple scarves - usually gray, rarely white, thick warm towels. With the production of the history of the Orenburg shawls knitwear craft began. These scarves are the hottest type of Orenbuger knitwear, they are worn as everyday clothing.
- Shawls - Ajour knitting of very finely woven goat's wool with silk ( rare in viscose or cotton fiber, the yarn usually contains 2/3 goat fluff and 1/3 silk). Such pieces are not worn as everyday clothing, but as an accessory for ceremonial occasions. They have much more complicated patterns than the simple scarves. Usually a purer and softer goat's wool, which is why such pieces are also more expensive.
- Stole - thin scarf or cap, according to a similar design as the shawls.
The hole pattern of cloths consist of relatively few basic elements, which are arranged into larger geometric patterns, often diamond-shaped medallions me in the middle and all round knitted lace edge.
In the Orenburg region towels are knitted by machine. These wipes are not that expensive, they are also coarser. Such machine-made cloths similar in consistency of a very soft fur. Partly also the middle part is specifically knitted on the machine, as it more evenly fails than when it is hand- knitted.
Whether an Orenburg shawl was worked particularly thin, you can check with two simple tests:
The knitters spin their wool itself. Good Orenburg shawls are made of twisted yarn. For this purpose, the knitter produces first a strong thread of goat fluff and zwirnt him about it on a silk thread or cotton thread. Such a finished scarf - shawl or stole - initially calls from non- fluffy. Only with time, when the cloth is worn, it gets its fluffy consistency. Such cloth is very long lasting.
A clever knitter can knit a month two or three towels medium size stoles. For large shawls or stoles with intricate patterns it requires a month or more.
The largest collection of Orenburg shawls can be seen in the museum of the history of the Orenburg Shawls, a branch of Orenburg Museum of Fine Arts.