Application of Central Asian shamanic symbols in textile designs

Humanity is the most important constituent of culture. The most important feature that distinguishes humans from other beings is that they are instinctively curious and searching. Myths, legends, religions and works of art are full of reflections of this instinctive search. The most important constituent of symbols, on the other hand, is culture. Societies have passed down the cultural traces of the geography they live in from generation to generation through symbols in their religion, language and works of art. Pre-Islamic Turks kept their beliefs and culture alive in a wide region ranging from Asia to Europe. The symbolized traces of the Shamanic culture, which is as old and long-established as the history of humanity, were used in literature, legends, myths and works of art from Central Asia to Anatolia and passed down to the next generations. It is necessary to sustain the culture of Shamanism, which is one of the richest cultural treasures of the Turkish nation from the past, in the field of contemporary art. However, today, it is observed that Shamanic symbols are almost non-existent in the field of modern textile design. This situation has been effective in the selection of the subject as the focal point of the present study. The present study is necessary to research, revive and maintain one of the essential elements of our culture that has been mostly forgotten. In the study, it was aimed to introduce and maintain Shamanic symbols through textile. The present study, which was designed with a qualitative approach, is a descriptive case study. The study was limited to visual analyses reflecting Shamanic symbols. The information forms prepared for 27 Shamanic symbols selected as the study sample were recorded, and 15 textile designs based on Shamanic symbols were created. Data collection was carried out through the information forms prepared by the researcher. A textile design collection was created without disrupting the cultural forms of the Shamanic symbols included in Shaman costumes and rock paintings.