About Kaitag

A Short History of Kaitag Embroidery

Kaitag embroidery is a type of decorative needlework that originated in the Kaitag region of Dagestan, a republic in the North Caucasus region of Russia. The Kaitag region is home to several ethnic groups, including Avars, Dargins, and Lezgins, who have a long tradition of producing intricate and colorful embroideries.

The Caucasus, where the lands of Dagestan are located, has long been called the crossroads of civilizations. Trade routes to the countries of Eastern Europe, the Near and Far East, and Central Asia passed through its territory. In the indigenous population of Dagestan, in its everyday traditions, in its culture and art, one can see many features borrowed from other peoples, from the Greeks, Turks, Arabs, Byzantines, Persians, Romans.

On a small piece of mountainous land, many types of art and architecture developed and flourished. Dagestan Kubachi daggers are known all over the world, stone carving, woodcarving, making silver jewelry, copper utensils and copper items, ceramic products, carpet making, and the famous Kaitag embroidery.

The name "Kaitag" was given by the famous ethnographer Yevgeny Shiling who first encountered this style of work in the Kaitag region of Dagestan in 1930. Kaitag embroidery is characterized by its bright colors, intricate patterns, and use of a variety of stitches. It is typically worked on plain-weave linen fabric using silk or cotton thread, and the designs often feature geometric shapes, flowers, and other motifs.

Kaitag embroidery has a long history, with evidence of this type of needlework dating back to the 10th century. It was traditionally used to decorate clothing, household linens, and other household items, and was also a popular gift for important occasions such as weddings and birthdays.

In 1980, the English ethnographer Robert Chanciner, visiting Dagestan for the first time and seeing Kaitag embroidery, was so impressed that he decided to study this ancient art. In the early 90s, he came for a long period, and conducted his research. The result is the Kaitag catalogue, which was published in London in 1993. This catalog presents Kaitag embroidery, more than 170 products, many sold to private collections. For the art critics of the world, it was a sensation. Today exhibitions of private collections are held in museums in Paris, Boston, Berlin, Italy, Istanbul. Today, this art is being preserved in many families where it is passed down from generation to generation, quite litterally we have the opportunity to see the contents of grandmother's chests.