Author: Narbayeva, Dilovar Mamatmuratovna

Annotation: This article presents a scholarly analysis of the traditional napramach (mapramach) craft in the Surkhandarya region as part of the ethnographic heritage. The study examines the etymology, origins, and historical stages of napramach development, as well as its relationship with the natural-geographical, economic, and sociocultural conditions of the region. Napramach is a woven wool product that served as a portable storage chest in the daily life of nomadic and semi-nomadic populations. The article details the manufacturing technology, wool processing techniques, and the use of natural dyes. The decorative ornamental system of mapramach is interpreted through semiotic analysis, revealing cosmological, apotropaic, and agrarian-economic meanings of rhomboid, zigzag, and linear patterns. Special attention is given to the role of napramach in wedding ceremonies, family inheritance practices, and social stratification. The research is based on field ethnographic observations conducted in 2022–2024 in the Sherobod, Denov, Boysun, and Muzrobod districts, interviews with respondents, analysis of museum exhibits, and the historical-comparative method. The scholarly novelty of the work consists in a systematic study of the napramach tradition in the context of intangible cultural heritage of the Surkhandarya oasis. The findings substantiate the prospects for revitalizing napramach in the spheres of contemporary design, tourism, and cultural industry.

Keywords: napramach, mapramach, Surkhandarya craftsmanship, ethnographic heritage, decorative art, symbolic ornaments, traditional weaving, intangible cultural heritage, pastoralist culture, folk applied arts.

Pages in journal: 29 - 38