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| Séchage au soleil après vernissage. |
Rushana leads me into tapshans factory, Pakhtakor Street. We are accompanied by a Belgian who bought her a carpet. The spacious workshop is crowded by boards, by finished parts ready to be assembled, by off-cuts and by sawdust. An assembled tapshan waits for its varnishing. An other, brand new, dries in the sun. I ask to see tools. There are saws, bevelings, lathes and planers, but it is especially the hand tools whiches have my preference, the different types of chisels, the gouges, the raspes and the squares. Rushana translates my questions into Russian to the boss. The factory employs five workers. The work is made to the order. The customer comes, looks at the models, explains what he wants. Its takes from one week to one month to realize the model ordered. The dimensions can change. For elderly, they shall make lower tapshans. The wood used here is only the fir tree. Sanjar makes tapshans for over fifteen years.
- When was the beginning of the manufacture of the tapshans in Bukhara ?
- At the time of Amir Alim Khan.
Alim Khan was from 1911 till 1920 the last khan of Bukhara. The khanat was a Russian protectorate since 1868 and the Revolution was going to make it the Soviet People's republic of Bukhara before integrating it into the RSS of Uzbekistan.
- At the beginning, specifies Rushana, tapshans were reserved for the rich people. Now, everybody can get its own and there are many different models.
To a wall is suspended a strange object made from straps, from wooden beads and from pieces of tissue.
- It is against the bad eye, tells me Rushana. Shaman's trick.
- Ask Sanjar if he can make for me a flying tapshan.
- Are you ouf ("fou" (crazy) in verlan) ? I don't ask that !
- When was the beginning of the manufacture of the tapshans in Bukhara ?
- At the time of Amir Alim Khan.
Alim Khan was from 1911 till 1920 the last khan of Bukhara. The khanat was a Russian protectorate since 1868 and the Revolution was going to make it the Soviet People's republic of Bukhara before integrating it into the RSS of Uzbekistan.
- At the beginning, specifies Rushana, tapshans were reserved for the rich people. Now, everybody can get its own and there are many different models.
To a wall is suspended a strange object made from straps, from wooden beads and from pieces of tissue.
- It is against the bad eye, tells me Rushana. Shaman's trick.
- Ask Sanjar if he can make for me a flying tapshan.
- Are you ouf ("fou" (crazy) in verlan) ? I don't ask that !
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| Fabrique de tapchanes rue de Pakhtakor. |
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| Dans la fabrique, grigri contre le "bad eye". |
She ended up asking him the question. The answer makes Rushana laugh a lot.
- He says that he doesn't know if there are or not flying tapshans. But soon, you will do like that, click, with the thumb, and the tapshan will fly.
I tell her that I saw sometimes on a miniature a floating tapshan.
- Miniature ? It is just "painting", quoi. She says in a falsely irritated tone.
When we return to the carpet store, I ask a girl what she thinks about the tapshans.
- I love it. It is so comfortable.
- Do you prefer the tapshan or the chorpoya ?
- What is a chorpoya ?
- Do you sometimes sleep on the tapshan ?
- Yes, it is very pleasant. We feel good and we have beautiful dreams. We have two at home, a young and a big. When I was a child, I slept on the tapshan with my sister. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, always we were on the tapshan with our relatives.
- What is your name ?
- Oltinoy. That means "golden Moon" in Uzbek.
- A golden moon ? My God ! I would gladly go for a trip to this golden moon. Why do you laugh ?
- I'm getting married in October.
- You look so young. How old are you ?
- Seventeen.
Rushana will tell me later that her friend had actually married and she lives now in the home of her step-parents and that is no longer possible to see her.
Last day in Bukhara. Near the train station is a traditional building Colonial style which could be mistaken for a princely house of the Elizabethan age or the palace of a Maharajah. On one of the two tapshans in the yard is sitting a woman with a child. She offers me tea but I have to apologize because I do not have time. The controls at the station are worthy of an airport. Passport required and scanning of the luggage. The night train is an old wreck recovered from the Russian railways. The rusty samovars are unusable. Many passengers, bodies looking for a comfortable position, and soon, again, the generosity of the women. Gulmira, english teacher in Tashkent, getting back from holidays in her family. As I have only an uncomfortable seat, she suggests that I join her on her couchette. She offers me white grapes and biscuits. My seatmate offers me sausage toasts. Later, Gulmira will send me a piece of paper : "I wish you great success much happiness. I wisch you health. Your family greater. If you come to Bukhara, you will telephone to me (you’ll call me). I shall help you and interests chorpoya or tapchan in our region have many carpenters to make tapchan. Good night, sir. Have a good journey !"
More photos Bukhara
- He says that he doesn't know if there are or not flying tapshans. But soon, you will do like that, click, with the thumb, and the tapshan will fly.
I tell her that I saw sometimes on a miniature a floating tapshan.
- Miniature ? It is just "painting", quoi. She says in a falsely irritated tone.
When we return to the carpet store, I ask a girl what she thinks about the tapshans.
- I love it. It is so comfortable.
- Do you prefer the tapshan or the chorpoya ?
- What is a chorpoya ?
- Do you sometimes sleep on the tapshan ?
- Yes, it is very pleasant. We feel good and we have beautiful dreams. We have two at home, a young and a big. When I was a child, I slept on the tapshan with my sister. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, always we were on the tapshan with our relatives.
- What is your name ?
- Oltinoy. That means "golden Moon" in Uzbek.
- A golden moon ? My God ! I would gladly go for a trip to this golden moon. Why do you laugh ?
- I'm getting married in October.
- You look so young. How old are you ?
- Seventeen.
Rushana will tell me later that her friend had actually married and she lives now in the home of her step-parents and that is no longer possible to see her.
Last day in Bukhara. Near the train station is a traditional building Colonial style which could be mistaken for a princely house of the Elizabethan age or the palace of a Maharajah. On one of the two tapshans in the yard is sitting a woman with a child. She offers me tea but I have to apologize because I do not have time. The controls at the station are worthy of an airport. Passport required and scanning of the luggage. The night train is an old wreck recovered from the Russian railways. The rusty samovars are unusable. Many passengers, bodies looking for a comfortable position, and soon, again, the generosity of the women. Gulmira, english teacher in Tashkent, getting back from holidays in her family. As I have only an uncomfortable seat, she suggests that I join her on her couchette. She offers me white grapes and biscuits. My seatmate offers me sausage toasts. Later, Gulmira will send me a piece of paper : "I wish you great success much happiness. I wisch you health. Your family greater. If you come to Bukhara, you will telephone to me (you’ll call me). I shall help you and interests chorpoya or tapchan in our region have many carpenters to make tapchan. Good night, sir. Have a good journey !"
More photos Bukhara
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