My grandfather alwasy was saying: «It’s a sin to throw away the skin taken from the dead animal, be it a successful hunting trophy, or a domestic sheep,»
At all times and among all peoples, leather served as the basic material for clothing and footwear. The ways of its manufacture were different and sometimes quite original.
Along with scraping the skins began to dry. But the dried skins became “oak”, so they were softened by smashing stones or sticks and stretching with their hands. When they noticed that the oily skin during the warm-up became softer, they began to additionally lubricate the skins with lamb fat. Fatting turned out to be so efficient and simple operation that it became the “component” of the recipes for the manufacture of leather in almost all nations.
The traditional occupation of the Gagauz, sheep, left a certain imprint on the formation of the elements of their national clothing. In the past, the Gagauz many types of upper apparel made of sheep skins. These are long sheepskin coats and short light jackets, sleeveless jackets and hats, and even men’s trousers.
Currently, of all of the above, the sleeveless jacket or keptar, as it is called the Gagauz, has the greatest use as a type of outerwear. Interestingly, the sleeveless jacket in different Gagauz settlements is called in a special way. For example, in the Kopchak village gyuslyuk, in Avdarma-mintanka, in Comrat-bondita, in Congaz-keptar, and in Dezginzja-poshki.
However, regardless of its name, there is a great demand for this type of outerwear, since they are sewn from natural sheep skin, light and very warm. For the manufacture of one bondi 15 hours are spent by the master, and the process of tanning sheep skin takes another 10-15 days. All this work he is doing manually.
Skill which is given from generation to generation is in demand and now.
Author: Ivan Ivancev
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