Uyghur Costume
01 · Historical Records
The costume of the Uyghurs of the Yutian area has a very long history. The local women's small cap and the pijaj have been transmitted for two to three thousand years, something rarely seen among the ceremonial costumes of the entire autonomous region; the small cap, the Kichik Telpek, sewn from dyed leather, figured satin, and wangping velvet cloth, is shaped like an overturned small wine cup and also like a trumpet, and is pinned to the right front of the white gauze veil and the hair — the first part of the ensemble to catch the eye. The reason this small cap has been transmitted for so long is that it is light, sun-resistant, and easy to wear in a desert climate; and the fact that it appears as a set with the pijaj in turn proves that the dress of Yutian women was originally a complete ceremonial costume, not a fashion assemblage put together later.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Yutian County is located in the south of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is an area where ethnic minorities, chiefly the Uyghurs, live in concentrated communities. The costume and small caps of the Uyghur women of Yutian County have a history of two to three thousand years; the Kichik Telpek (small cap) and the pijaj unique to Yutian women are the only ceremonial costumes in the entire autonomous region. The Kichik Telpek is sewn from dyed leather, figured satin, and wangping velvet cloth; shaped like an overturned small wine cup and a trumpet, it is generally pinned to the right front of the white gauze veil and the hair. At weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies, women wear the complete set of Kichik Telpek and pijaj, which looks graceful and elegant and has a distinctive air. The Uyghur dress of the women of Yutian County is a precious treasure of the costume culture of the Chinese nation.
Sewing the keqiketailipaik cap
Made of ink leather, brocade and velvet, the cap reads as an upturned cup and a horn; its stiff lining keeps it upright.
Wearing the complete ceremonial set
At weddings and funerals women wear the cap with the piraja coat and white gauze veil, pinned at the front right.
Fixing the cap with a pin
A pin holds the cap to the veil and the hair so it cannot shift as the wearer moves.
Pairing the piraja coat
The coat covers the body while the cap crowns it; the fuller the ceremony, the more completely the pair is worn.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Yutian County lies in the south of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, an area of concentrated settlement of southern Xinjiang Uyghurs; the women's dress of this area forms a school of its own. The Kichik Telpek and the pijaj are listed as the only ceremonial costumes in the entire autonomous region and must be worn as a complete set at weddings, funerals, and similar occasions. Compared with other counties in southern Xinjiang, Yutian's rules of use are stricter: the complete set of small cap and pijaj never appears in daily labor; it is worn whole only on ceremonial occasions, and must be paired with a white gauze veil — if any element is missing, the ceremony is not properly constituted. The ceremonial dress of this area is therefore highly distinctive. Hand sewing is mostly undertaken by the women of the household: the small cap's dyed-leather base and figured-satin covering each require a separate process step, and the rolled edging of the pijaj shows the skill of the hands all the more. Completing the set before the wedding date is the normal practice for families in this area.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Kichik Telpek is the smallest hat in the world; together with the pijaj it provides precious physical material for research into the culture of the Western Regions.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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