Shukurov Kahramon en dochter met foto van grootouders. Net als zijn vader is hij kandijmaker.
The development of tradition. Interior decoration in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
Dissertation Miss Anna Ietswaart, MA Cultural Heritage Studies, UCL (London, UK).
The ornamental painting of residential interiors in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, is the subject of great restoration activity. The work is carried out by skilled house owners or in commission. The results vary between conservation work with respect for the previous layers and rigorous reconstructions with a new interpretation on the basis of traditional elements. Alternatively, Bukharian citizens invest in an interior renewal in what they call ‘Euro-Style’.
In my research I looked at the reasons for the revival of this traditional style and how this relates to the relative short independence of the Uzbek state. Funds coming in from abroad, milder legislation and ‘a new identity’ are reasons given for the restorations. With a national identity narrative that people do not identify with, house owners have an interest in promoting the narrative of ‘guarding our own culture before it is lost’. This is especially true for the men as they feel responsible for their family lineage which is connected to the care for the house.
* Ja ik weet dat ik het in het Nederlands als Oezbekistan moet schrijven. Maar waarom? We schrijven toch ook geen Oeroezgan, Istanboel of Kaboel?
