The Kyrgyz applied art has not lost its significance up to present. Closely related to the history of the national culture formation, it contains enormous experience, painstaking and insistent labor of numerous generations.

Felt articles are one of the most popular and wide - spread in Kyrgyzstan. Felt serves as the main material in constructing a yurt (Kyrgyz portable tent). The yurt cover and many things of its interior are made of felt.

Artistic peculiarities of felt article depend on the technique. There are various methods of ornamenting felt articles. The widest spread are ala kiyiz and shyrdak.

Carpets are named after the pertinent techniques. The art of felt carpet making is very alive in Kyrgyzstan at the present days. The central field pattern is most often based on large - sized various curls "muyuz" with forks and sprouts "karga tyrmak" and "ala bakan" composed in cross - shaped figures "tort muyuz" or include in ovals or diamonds "tabak oyuu". The ala ki'iz pattern is close to the shyrdak patter; but it has softer and blurred shape due to the peculiarities of its production process.

The traditional sizes of felt carpets, 1.5 x 3 m and 2 x 4 m are stemming from the width - length proportion 1 x 2. Nowadays, the most popular are small carpets both ornamented or bearing the author's unique pattern.

Sizes of modern carpets proceed from the interior parameters. Carpets can be shaped as round or long to decorate a corridor, etc.

Due to their ecological and natural origin and unique ornament, Kyrgyz felt articles are starting to enjoy demand in the world market. Although preserving the ancient traditional techniques. They are oriented at the international standards. Thus, felt pillows of various sizes with Kyrgyz coloring are popular in Europe and the United States.

Frequently, natural dyes are used in felt making as well as naturally - coloured wool of various tones. These colour combinations look very organic in modern dwelling and public interiors.

Ala kiyiz is made of felt ornamented with rolled up pattern. Autumn fleece of brown or gray color is laid down on a sedge mat chij. Then a pattern is laid out made of fleece prepared, combed and dyed in contrast colors.

Hot water is sprinkled over the wool with pattern, which is rolled up in the chij and rolled first by feet and then by palms and elbows, until the wool turns in felt and acquires solidity and durability.

Carpets made using the ala kiyiz technique usually have big central field framed with narrow border which can be smooth or ornamented.

Combinations of red and brown as well as and crimson and blue are prevailing in ala kiyiz coloration. White, yellow and orange are used as additional colors.

Felt ornamented mosaic-like articles shyrdak are widely spread in Kyrgyzstan. Besides floor covering carpets which are part and parcel of the Kyrgyz home, various suspension mosaik-like bags (ayak cup, tabak cup) used to be made to hang them on the yurt`s wooden framework.

The mosaik-like articles featured by graphic clearness and perfection of the pattern.

Felted wool is then washed, dried and dyed. Before dyeing, big sheets of felt are cut into pieces. Patterns applied, felt put up in two layers is cut with sharp knife or scissors for both patterns and background. In stitching up the pieces, their edges are covered by double braid work (je`ek). The sewed up felt is applied as an ornament to a single sheet of felt and quilted together with the braidwork.

In cutting two-color patterns, the maker uses it either for two carpets or for one made of two identical shapes, and reassemble them into a mosaik-like textile of interlocking positive and negative patterns.

The traditional schemes are preserved in the ornament composition, although in each individual case the patterns maker bases it on her own taste.

The classical shyrdak includes the central field and the outer edging. The patterns of the shyrdak`s central field are very large and nearly always horizontal. The outer edging usually consists of two or three borders of different widths; each of them sewed on individually. The edging is based on a wide border between the two narrow, field with a chain of petty curls, triangles, broken line, etc.

Double braid (je`ek) and narrow border (suu) are very significant. They unify the central field with the edging and impart a specific perfectness to the entire shyrdak.

Colors are of great importance in shyrdak`s composition integrity. The prevailing colour combinations are red and blue, and green, brown and orange, brown and red, brown and yellow, and brown and white. The colour of braid is also very important in decoration.

Despite its brightness and contrasts, shyrdak doesn't look too motley. This is due to both proper use of colours and artistic methods in building the composition.

Along with aniline dyes, now the natural vegetable and mineral dyes are also used. Such articles are featured by the soft colour harmony.

Rag articles are wide spread in Kyrgyzstan . This technique is one of the most unique, in which there were accomplished various home articles of plenty folks from wolrdwide.

But kyrgyz kurak was its own peculiarities, that is the art reflection of nomadic human life. Such rags as: tush- kiiz, kurak blankets -toshok, wall shelves --tekche , bags - ayak kap and various small articles, such as: kitchen gloves- tutkuch and etc. were accompished in kurak technique of making the rag articles for the yurt. Kyrgyz people have obtained the great experience concerning the technique of making the rag articles.

The most spread tehcnique - kattama kurak is differs with light combination of small rags, sewn in various kaleidoscope of different colorful rags and composing the pith of square.

The complication of square building depends on layer quantities to the middle square or to the middle axis cross- piece.

Kurak composition keeps the whole unity, in spite of colour ranges, thank to skill of masters, fixed traditions, complicated composition (squares, textile triangles).