Felting Between East and West

The tradition of felt-making today is closely associated with nomadic peoples. The archaeological remains of felt are sparse. Sizable fragments have been recovered from graves at Pazyryk and Noin Ula. Designs from felt occur in other arts, spanning a longer time frame that makes reconstructing a tentative history of felt-making possible. There is clear evidence from China expressed in ceramic designs and from felt designs on Turkish coins. Modern felts made in Hungary could be part of a very long tradition of felt-making by Central Asian nomads, or might be part of a historical "revival'' of a transplanted historical tradition. There is certainly a perceived sense of identity with Central Asia that is supported by a long period of shared history.