A semiotic study of the ornaments of the Turkmen women of the Teke tribe

Abstract

Clothing and ornaments play an important role in shaping the collective identity of tribes. How the body is decorated is a kind of indicator of the structure of life and culture of a people. Adornment has always been an important part of the life tradition of people, especially women. In this regard, Turkmen ethnic groups that are considered subcultures of Islamic civilization and live in parts of Central Asia and Iran, they are divided into different tribes one of which is the Tekke tribe. The ornaments of the Turkmen tribes have special identity features while preserving the collective identity of the Turkmen people, it also differentiates the identity of its tribe. The women of the Tekke tribe have an ornament called Tumar, which, as a protective frame for prayer paper, adorns women, especially the young bride of the tribe. This article intends to study the identity, belief and ritual signs of " Tumar". These are the basic questions of this article: What semiotic layers have been used in the design of this ornament (Tumar)? And apart from its basic uses (prayer frame and decorative cover), what other semantic implications does it have in the semantic discourse of the Turkmen people? In the article, visual signs in 7 sample Tumar have been qualitatively read semiotically. Data were collected from written, oral and field documents. The method of descriptive-analytical study is layered semiotic approach. In the semiotic analysis of the Tumar ornament into six perceptual layers, it was concluded that the description, analysis and interpretation of the signs make significant use of its initial use. The semantic implications of the signs refer to deep and rooted concepts in ethnic beliefs and shamanic and Islamic faith.

Keywords

• turkmen
• teke tribe
• women's ornaments
• tumar
• semiotics