Similarities and Historical Continuity in Traditional Leather Vessel Production Among Turkic Peoples

Abstract

The article examines the production and use of leather utensils within the material culture of four Turkic peoples: Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Bashkirs, and Yakuts. The aims of the study are to identify the common features in the traditions of manufacturing and using leather vessels among these Turkic groups and to reveal the intercultural interactions associated with this craft. The study considers the types of leather utensils traditionally crafted by Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Bashkir, and Yakut artisans, highlighting their shared features, manufacturing techniques, areas of application, and domestic functions. The similarities in the material culture of these peoples reflect their ethnocultural proximity, shaped by a common historical background and similar living conditions. Moreover, the advanced development of leatherworking craftsmanship suggests that the primary economic activities, customs, and traditions of the nomadic Turks were closely tied to pastoralism. Nevertheless, certain groups leading sedentary or semi-sedentary lifestyles exhibited cultural trends distinct from those of fully nomadic societies. It was established that peoples engaged in nomadic livestock herding made more frequent use of leather vessels, which can be attributed to their practicality during migrations. Additionally, many leather items underwent transformations in form and function as a result of expanding cultural contacts with other peoples in the 19th century. Subsequently, during the process of sedentarization – for instance, when the Yakuts transitioned to a more settled way of life – the diversity and functional scope of leather vessels diminished, and they were replaced by containers made from metal, wood, ceramics, porcelain, and other materials.