Nafisa – Turkmen of Afghanistan patterns

NAFISA – TURKMEN OF AFGHANISTAN PATTERNS – BUNDLE OF 90 SEAMLESS, TILEABLE, EDITABLE PATTERN VECTOR FILES

“Nafisa is a Turkmen name for girls in Afghanistan.”

The Turkmen are an ethnic group who dwell along the southern side of Amu Darya (river). Most Turkmen are nomadic people who herd yaks and many nomadic Turkmen still live in dome-shaped tents based on wooden frames.

The men wear coats with long sleeves, while women also wear long dresses to cover their hands in cold weather.

An important feature of Turkmen dress for women is the addition of silver and, more recently, gold jewellery. Most of the jewellery is worn on the head, down the front and back of the upper torso and on the lower arms and hands.

Another important element of Turkmen dress for men, women and children, is the inclusion of amulets. They usually take the form of a piece of cloth containing a text, which is sewn onto a garment.

This section includes many of the following Tajik elements: Mixed curves, zigzags, lozenges and triangles.

The designs of the patterns are based on traditional Afghan embroideries which have been simplified and modernised. I have also added a range of different colour palettes to make them more versatile and widely accessible, keeping current tastes in mind. By making these time-honoured styles more usable and practical for use by new generations of designers worldwide, it is my hope that I can in a small way help create a bridge between East and West.

ETHNIC GROUPS OF AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan is a multiethnic society, consisting of a number of ethnic groups or tribes, which have collectively resided in the region for hundreds of years. They each have their own culture and specific ways of living, defined by unwritten codes and customs, and this is often reflected in their traditional embroidery.

EMBROIDERY

Embroidery in Afghanistan is done by women and young girls who create exquisite work to express themselves. They communicate visual stories to their close relations, from mother to daughter and tribe to tribe and maybe even to the wider world, thus ensuring the survival of their handed down traditions. Embroidery is also used to celebrate festive occasions.

The women equally embroider for their values and their love for their husbands and children and the embroideries serve to decorate fabrics used for curtains, cushions, dresses and shawls amongst others.

They are works of beauty and love, sparkling with motifs and patterns representing the sun, the moon, fruits, animals, landscapes, stars, flowers and petals, colours and exotic trees and flowers.