The Yak House is a small handicraft-producing group created in 2000 in the Murgab district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonous Oblast in Tajikistan. The Yak House was established under the Pamir High Mountain Integrated Project (PHIP), implemented by ACTED. Today the Yak House produces high quality handmade products through local artisans that are sold in Murghab distict, Khorog, and Dushanbe. In 2008, the Yak House was officially registered as a public organization.
In April 2011, the Yak House partnered with the Embassy of the United States of American in Dushanbe to implement the ‘Preservation of Eastern Pamir Yak Wool Handicraft Traditions’ project, that was funded through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. The project catalogs yak wool handicrafts products of the Eastern Pamir region in the Tajik Republic. The research and compilation of the catalogue was led by handicraft experts from the Central Asian Craft Support Association’s Resource Centre, which provide a handicraft expert research and compile the catalogue.
The research of crafts in the Murghab district was conducted by polling and visiting craftsmen in their homes. In general, women produced goods for domestic use, and prepared a dowry for their daughters. As part of the research, various kinds of handicrafts were photographed at different stages of production with detailed descriptions of the following products: shyrdak (tikme), ala kiyiz (patterned felt) chiy (mats), chadar (weaving), saima (embroidery), kurak (patchwork), jewelry, and knitting.
The disappearing and rare designs and patterns were applied to all products: on shyrdak and ala kiyiz, masters use zoomorphic ornaments, that is, animal motifs; for the embroidery they use vegetable motifs, and the designs most often used for kurak are geometric patterns. Regarding the jewelry, one sees both zoomorphic and floral designs.
The results of the research, which are published in the Eastern Pamir art catalogue, document the traditional patterns of the Eastern Pamirs. The catalogue contains the art of the Eastern Pamirs, the history of the Yak House, photos of patterns, their names, meanings, origins, detailed production techniques and photos of interviewees.
The Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation was created in 2001 to support the preservation of cultural heritage in less-developed nations and demonstrate U.S. respect for other cultures. Since its beginning in 2001, the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation Program has funded eight projects in Tajikistan in the amount of more than $300,000. For more information about the U.S. Embassy funded Ambassador Fund for Cultural Preservation please visitthe website of the US Embassy in Tajikistan.
