Forty Braids (Frameless Print)

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: The women of the Kiyiz Duino collective gather in the soft afternoon light, braiding a young girl’s hair. In traditional Kyrgyz culture, braiding a girl’s hair into forty braids carries deep meaning. For unmarried girls, these braids reflect not just purity but also individuality, and mark their readiness for adulthood. The number forty also represents more than just a count; it symbolizes completeness, strength, and unity, harkening back to the legendary forty tribes that united to form the Kyrgyz people. 

Like many traditions, this practice faded during the Soviet era, but is now returning. Not only in Kyrgyzstan, but across other traditionally nomadic Turkic cultures such as in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, women are reclaiming these practices as part of a broader cultural revival, mixing them with trending fashion styles to create something new. Modernization may have distanced us from each other and our collective past, but now, we’re in a position to choose which parts of our heritage to hold onto, and which forgotten threads of our cultural identity we want to explore further.

Kiyiz Duino—Kyrgyz for “World of Felt”—is dedicated to preserving the ancient arts of felt-making and traditional clothing, connecting us to the skills and stories of those who came before. Follow them at @kiyizduino

About this print:
Designed for frameless presentation. Gicleé inks on museum-grade, 0.43mm, 100% premium cotton archival paper. Mounted on 1/16 inch, ultra-thick matte board for rigidity. Acid free. Smooth-matte surface provides a beautiful organic texture and excellent viewing from any angle.

Note:
A 0.4 inch, white border runs along the perimeter of the image. Does not come framed.