THE ESIKQAS AS AN AESTHETIC AND DECORATIVE CARPET OF THE KARAKALPAKS: TYPOLOGY, ORNAMENTAL COMPOSITION, AND CULTURAL INTERACTIONS

Abstract

This study examines the esikqas, a distinctive pile-woven decorative textile used in the interior of the traditional Karakalpak yurt. Unlike utilitarian carpets intended for storage, bedding, or floor covering, the esikqas primarily performs an aesthetic and spatial function by decorating the area above the entrance. The research aims to clarify the functional status of the esikqas, distinguish it from the structurally similar qarshın, and systematize its major ornamental variants. The study is based on comparative visual analysis of museum specimens, field observations, ethnographic descriptions, and the classifications proposed by A. Allamuratov, T. A. Zhdanko, and David and Sue Richardson. The analysis identifies the rhombus—known in Karakalpak terminology as qıyıq or boǵırsoq—as the principal compositional marker of the esikqas. Several major types are discussed, including the on eki múyizli, stepped, az múyiz, lightning-pattern, and qıyıq-pattern variants. Particular attention is given to inconsistencies in museum attribution and to the interaction of Karakalpak and Turkmen ornamental traditions. The findings suggest that the classification of pile-woven objects should be based not solely on their recorded practical use but also on dominant motifs, compositional structure, dimensions, and weaving tradition. The esikqas demonstrates the high level of artistic variation achieved by Karakalpak women weavers and represents an important element of the decorative system of the Karakalpak yurt.