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Traditional and contemporary art of Kazakhstan

A Virtual Journey into the World of Kazakhstan’s Artistic Heritage

This Web Gallery presents the diversity of artistic practices in Kazakhstan, reflecting the continuity of cultural traditions and the dynamic development of contemporary creative processes. The virtual exhibition features works based on national images, symbols, and themes, as well as artworks by contemporary artists who reinterpret the country’s cultural heritage through contemporary artistic forms, expressive means, and modern technologies.

The selected works demonstrate the relationship between traditional and contemporary art, revealing the distinctive features of the national worldview, cultural identity, and cultural meanings. The presented materials allow viewers to trace how elements of historical and cultural heritage are reflected in contemporary artistic practice, while maintaining their significance and relevance in an increasingly globalized world.

The Web Gallery is aimed at promoting Kazakhstan’s artistic heritage, expanding public access to works of art, and fostering a lasting interest in national culture and art among a wide audience.

Astau

Sherbakul Historical and Local History Museum • Astau. Fund of the Azret Sultan National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve

Астау.

Astau is a wooden dish for meat dishes: beshbarmak – elongated, pilaf – rounded, meat or sheep’s head – flat. Astau was made from hard woods – birch, oak, pear, etc. The fibrous structure of wooden astau made from komel (the lower part of a birch tree) retains the heat of food for a long time. It was believed that these types of wood did not affect the taste of meat. Old museum specimens of astau are characterised by their laconic form and lack of decoration, and they are distinguished by their harmonious proportions. The craftsmen preserved the natural elongated shape of the tree trunk, deepened its interior space to create the desired volume, smoothed the cuts of the tree and left narrow sides in the elongated part. The ends of the astau were made wider for convenient serving of meat to the dastarkhan. Folk tales note the sacred properties of the astau, its ability to protect people from negative forces and life’s misfortunes. Unique examples of astau for collective spiritual meals are kept in the fund of the Azret Sultan Museum-Reserve. Made of birch wood, they have elongated shapes (240x40x33 cm; 225x40x25 cm). Astau were used for the dish khalim, which was distributed after Friday prayers.