The Orenburg Collection of Down Shawls

The Orenburg down shawl , along with Gzhel painting and Tula gingerbread, can be considered one of the symbols of Russia. Of course, shawls are knitted all over the country, but the Orenburg shawl has a magic of its own. The specific climate of the Orenburg region did not favour the development of farming, but it was the ideal environment for the appearance of unusual goat down, so fine and weightless yet excellent at retaining heat. This down differed considerably both from other materials and from the down of other animals, including other goats. The finest threads were woven into the most delicate "gossamer" (this is what the patterns of Orenburg shawls were called). This craft fed the families of Orenburg and the surrounding villages. The shawls were sold at fairs, where they were bought by ladies who wanted to emphasise the majesty and femininity of their outfits. Such shawls have a charming feature – any shawl, regardless of size, can be pulled through a woman's wedding ring.

                                 

After a stunning success at a French exhibition in 1857, the whole world learned about the items of Orenburg down knitters. Today Orenburg shawls remain relevant both in Russia and all over the world.

Every shawl can be considered a masterpiece of handmade art. One of the largest collections of Orenburg down shawls today is in the Orenburg Regional Museum of Fine Arts. It consists of a huge number of works by various craftswomen. Unfortunately, the beginning of the twentieth century is represented by works of down knitters whose names have not survived. The very first item is a shawl with tassels, which came in 1987 from the Butovsky family. It is the most delicate and weightless shawl in the whole collection. Most of the collection consists of Orenburg shawls created in the post-war years. They are distinguished by the appearance and evolution of the pointed edge of the shawl. The second half of the twentieth century is noticeably distinguished by the shawl becoming more and more openwork. The richest part of the collection is items created in the 1960s–90s. Thegossamer shawlsof each individual craftswoman, like artists' canvases, differ from one another in ornament and type of openwork. The creations of Olga Fedorova deserve special attention. It was she who made a huge contribution to preserving the items of Orenburg down knitters. Another striking part of the collection is the items of craftswomen from the village of Zheltoye. This is the birthplace of the down shawl. That is why shawls made in this part of the Orenburg region are considered classic, combining beauty and usefulness. The collection also includes exclusive shawls by other masters (M.G. Abdulina, S.Yu. Ishmukhametova and others). They managed to skilfully integrate their own vision of the Orenburg down shawl with traditional patterns.

                               

Orenburg shawls are still being created today. Machine knitting loses the softness and quality of a down item, so they are still made by hand. Accordingly, the price of a genuine Orenburg down shawl is quite high, but they are worth every rouble paid for them.