Antique Turkmen silk embroidery from the Tamerlane’s Daughters antique textiles archive — *Detail of a 19th-century chyrpy in Tamerlane’s Daughters’ textile archive*

CHYRPY

Chyrpy were lavishly embroidered ceremonial cloaks worn by women of the Tekke tribe of Turkmenistan in the 18th and 19th century.

Made of silk, their exceptionally intricate needlework was believed to provide magical protection to its wearer.

Created for Ceremony

Chyrpy were reserved for special occasions. Only newlyweds wore them daily.

The cloaks were draped over the head and shoulders, their long vestigial sleeves trailing in the back.

*Wife of a Turkmen Tekke khan with a chyrpy draped over her head, 1880*

*A 19th-century chyrpy from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, NYC*

Hierarchy Expressed through Colour

A chyrpy’s background colour indicated the age and social status of its wearer.

Young women wore dark colours like black, navy blue, or emerald green. Middle-aged women possessing wisdom wore yellow. And a matriarch, typically over the age of sixty and recognised by the community as a ‘good woman,’ wore white.

An Ode to the Tulip

By far the most popular motif – found on every chyrpy in existence – was the tulip.

The most prolific wildflower in Central Asia, it symbolised both abundance and fertility.

A Lost Art

Chyrpy ceased to be made in the 1920s. Unlike other textile traditions of Central Asia, they have not seen a contemporary revival. Chyrpy are now extinct.

Surviving 19th-century pieces form an important part of the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Hermitage in St Petersburg, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Tamerlane’s Daughters Antique Chyrpy

Karina launched Tamerlane’s Daughters in 2004 with a capsule collection of cocktail dresses each featuring a densely embroidered 19th-century chyrpy fragment.

Today, due to their rarity, she uses antique chyrpy fragments exclusively for one-off special projects.

One-of-a-kind dress created with museum-quality antique textiles — *Tamerlane’s Daughters debut fashion collection featuring a 19th-century chyrpy embroidery*

Objects of desire created on commission by Tamerlane's Daughters from museum-quality antique textiles — *A Tamerlane’s Daughters private commission featuring an early 20th-century chyrpy embroidery*

To discuss a special commission using an antique chyrpy embroidery, please
CONTACT KARINA