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[FOLK ART OF CRIMEAN TATARS] Ornamental’noe shit’e Kryma [i.e. Ornamental Needlework of Crimea]

Chepurina, P.

Item #2465

Moscow: Vsesoiuznoe kooperativnoe ob’edinennoe izdatel’stvo, 1938. 62, [2] pp.: ill. 25x17,5 cm. In original illustrated wrappers. Spine restored, ink signature on title page, otherwise very good.

First and only edition. One of 2000 copies. Very rare.

This well-illustrated book is an example of pre-war Crimean Tatar cultural renaissance and a lifetime work by Ukrainian historian, Polina Chepurina (1880–1947).
Born in Kyiv, she studied in the Odesa Art School. In 1910 she began collecting and studying Crimean Tatar ornaments and traveled to Eastern Crimea to identify national ornamental needlework. Chepurina headed the Yevpatoria section of the Crimean Museum and was the head of the Yevpatoria Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum (1923-1928), was elected deputy chairman of the Yevpatoria branch of the Russian Society for the Study of Crimea. She constantly replenished her collection of Crimean Tatar ornaments, clothing and weaving. At the same time, she was one of the organizers of local artels engaged in weaving and production of national embroideries. Thus, this particular book became a valuable source for contemporary textile workshops.
Folk arts of Crimean Tatars absorbed art traditions of ethnic groups that lived on the peninsula before or co-existed with them. The earliest studies of Crimean Tatar traditional ornaments began in the late 19th century. Chepurina began the comprehensive research of this type of art and managed to organise 4-months courses for craftswomen in Crimea in 1930.

She determines 10 embroidery styles common among Crimean Tatars, provides a table consisting of dozens of various stitches with their original names, their translation to Russian, areas of use, and other details. All the stitches are shown in schemes. The book includes photos of old embroideries, needlework instructions and ornaments produced in Soviet artels.

Among ethnic minorities of the USSR repressed and deported to inland territories, Crimean Tatars were one of the most affected ethnic groups. In 1944, Crimean Tatars were blamed for collaboration with Nazi Germany. They were exiled to regions of Soviet Central Asia, the Mari Republic and some other areas where they founded ‘specialized settlements’. A lot of Tatars who refused the deportations were executed by the authorities. Their folklore was repressed until the late 1950s. Settlements of Crimea were renamed. Most likely, the artels for traditional embroidery were closed throughout the rest of the Soviet period.

Worldcat doesn’t track this edition.

Price: $2,500.00