Shyrdak

What is it

Shyrdak is a carpet assembled from cut-out felt pieces, rather than felted together with the pattern. The artisan stacks two canvases of different colors, cuts the contour through both at once, and swaps the cut-out pieces. This results in a pair of carpets with the same pattern and inverted colors. The seams are covered with jurmo — a twisted cord that simultaneously holds the joint and outlines the pattern.

Why it is expensive

Shyrdak is not made quickly. The fabric is felted, dyed, cut, hand-stitched, and quilted onto a lining; a medium-sized carpet takes weeks to complete. This is not a premium for exoticism — it is the cost of hours, which are becoming scarce for this craft.

What this implies for the product

The technology dictates the rules of the pattern, not the other way around. The contour must be closed and cut with scissors: a bridge thinner than a finger will tear during stitching. There are few colors in a classic shyrdak—two main ones and a border. Therefore, the designer checks the design for manufacturability before it goes to the workshop: not every beautiful pattern can be cut.