Making Ikat Fabric the Traditional Way: The Art of Uzbek Cloud-Binding
May
By Rustam Fayziev – Textile Researcher and Cultural Heritage Specialist
In the heart of Central Asia, the art of ikat weaving flourishes with the same meditative rhythm it has followed for centuries. Known locally as abrbandi—meaning “cloud-binding”—this ancient textile tradition is more than a visual art. It is a spiritual and communal craft where each thread carries the history, philosophy, and identity of Uzbek culture.
Uzbekistan, particularly the historic cities of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Margilan, remains a global center for this unique resist-dyeing technique, where patterns are drawn not on finished cloth, but on yarn itself—before weaving. What makes Uzbek silk ikat so exceptional is not only its blurred-edge beauty but also the methodical, collaborative process behind it. From the delicate cocoon to the final woven fabric, the creation of ikat is a complex choreography of specialized steps, each carried out with reverence and precision.
Step 1: Cultivating Silk – The Abrakashi Stage
The process begins with the cultivation of Mori silkworms, fed exclusively on mulberry leaves. This results in a high-quality fiber known as mulberry silk. Once the silkworms spin their cocoons, artisans harvest them with care and soak them in hot water—a step called abrakashi. This softens the sericin (the natural gum binding the cocoon), allowing the silk to be unwound in long, continuous strands. The fibers are then spun into thread using traditional spinning wheels, forming the foundation for the ikat masterpiece to come.
Step 2: Preparing the Loom-Length Threads – Davrakash
Following spinning, the threads are stretched out to precise loom lengths of about 220–240 cm in a stage called davrakash. This crucial step, often performed by experienced yarn handlers, ensures that the silk yarns are evenly aligned and taut—ready for the detailed work of the pattern master. Any misalignment here can distort the final design, making this stage one of the most technically demanding in the entire process.
Step 3: Drawing the Pattern – Chizma
Once the silk yarns are properly prepared, they are handed over to the chizmachi—a master designer responsible for sketching motifs directly onto the stretched bundles of yarn. This step, known as chizma, is where creativity meets geometry. The patterns are drawn using inks or charcoal, guided by both historical motifs and the artist’s intuition.
The motifs are often symbolic, evoking fertility, protection, and spiritual depth. Here, the threads serve as the canvas, and yet the final image will only emerge after dyeing and weaving—requiring the chizmachi to mentally visualize the finished cloth while working on individual strands.
Step 4: Tying the Resist – Kumish
After the pattern is inscribed, artisans begin the kumish step, which means “to bury.” Waterproof strings are tightly bound around the portions of thread meant to resist dye. These bindings preserve the underlying color of the silk and act as barriers during dyeing. Each section of the motif is tied precisely, with the artisan effectively ‘burying’ the pattern before it is revealed through color.
For multi-colored designs, this process must be repeated multiple times—each new color requiring new bindings, new dyeing, and new drying. The complexity of this layering means that some ikats undergo five or more complete cycles before they are ready to weave.
Step 5: Aligning and Preparing for Dye – Qatchi
With bindings in place, the yarns are re-stretched and aligned for dyeing in the stage called qatchi. This process ensures that the threads remain in correct order and tension, so the design will remain intact even through multiple dye applications. Master Ikat Artisans must maintain the spatial logic of the pattern across bundles of thread that have already been tied and twisted—an extraordinary feat of visual memory and technical discipline.
Step 6: Dyeing the Silk – Buyoqchi
The dyeing process is performed by a master known as the buyoqchi. In Uzbekistan’s artisanal some family houses, still only natural dyes are used—pomegranate rind, walnut husks, indigo, and madder root among them. These dyes not only provide rich, enduring hues but also reinforce the environmentally conscious ethos of traditional ikat.
During this stage, the bound yarn is immersed in dye baths, allowed to absorb color, then dried under the sun for one or two days. Once dried, the bindings are removed to reveal the pattern, and the process begins again for the next color. For every additional hue, the silk must be re-tied in new locations to protect previous colors—preserving pattern continuity through this sequential layering of resistance and revelation.
Step 7: Reconfirmation – Ochuvchi
With all dyes applied, artisans engage in ochuvchi—the careful inspection and correction of motifs. Threads are untangled and realigned. Any inconsistencies in color or position are addressed to ensure a seamless visual flow once woven. This meticulous inspection is essential to preserving the harmony and rhythm of the pattern.
Step 8: Laying the Pattern for the Loom – Gulbardor
Next, the yarns are wrapped in rows around a wooden frame in a process called gulbardor. This frame is the exact width of the intended fabric. Each motif is reconstructed thread by thread, so that the full pattern emerges in layered rows. At this point, the fabric has not yet been woven, but its full design is already present—embedded in the threads waiting to be locked into structure.
This alignment is the last opportunity to ensure pattern accuracy before the weaving begins. From here, the threads are handed over to the loom master.
Step 9: Weaving – Abri Dastgoh
The weaving of Uzbek ikat is done on a traditional wooden loom called abri dastgoh. The warp (vertical threads) and weft (horizontal threads) are woven by hand, often in the homes of female artisans. Depending on the final textile, either cotton or silk may be used for the weft, while the warp remains silk.
Weaving is done entirely without electricity, maintaining the low-carbon, artisanal nature of the product. On average, a skilled weaver produces 50–60 meters of fabric per week. Each shift of the comb, each pass of the shuttle, brings the pattern to life in shimmering, imperfect beauty—where slight misalignments become a signature, not a flaw.
Final Thoughts: Weaving a Living Heritage
Uzbek ikat is not merely a textile; it is a philosophy of patience, beauty, and collaboration. It involves dyers, designers, binders, loom setters, and weavers—each contributing their expertise to a process that respects nature and embraces imperfection. The blurred edges of the final ikat fabric symbolize not loss of clarity, but the merging of spirit and skill.
At Alesouk, we are proud to continue this legacy of handmade, natural, and culturally rich textiles. When you hold a piece of Uzbek ikat, you are holding time itself—dyed, bound, and woven into form.