Modern Kazakh Jewelry Graced by Traditional Symbolism

When Kokenov Seikkaliy sits down at his workshop to create his ornately embellished sterling silver jewelry, he is drawing upon a cultural heritage that is abundant in symbolism, ornament, and meaning. Since ancient times, Kazakhs have been wearing jewelry as bodily and clothing adornment, many pieces of which double as talismans. Seikkaliy desires to create new forms of jewelry that are both based on ethnic traditions and symbols of Kazakh culture and the aesthetic tastes and trends of the time. One can often find his silver pieces embellished with carnelian, turquoise, jasper, malachite, jade, coral, sea pearls, wood, and bone.

For Seikkaliy, his process begins with a vision in his head, from there it is immediately transferred on to paper before he begins preparing silver for melting. Molten silver is poured into molds and shaped as needed. With handmade tools often made by Seikkaliy, he nails in patterns, weaves, twists, and embosses the silver. Through his entire process Seikkaliy is using materials and techniques his ancestors used, which have been passed down from generation to generation. He credits a renewed domestic interest in cultural heritage and “ethnic self-awareness” in helping revitalize the production of traditional jewelry. 

Kokenov Seikkaliy was born in the village of Karakol, located in the eastern region of Kazakhstan. He would go on to study theater and decorative arts at the Oral Tansykbayev Almaty College of Decorative and Applied Arts. He formally began his career as a jeweler in 1990. Seikkaliy has been recognized by UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in addition to being the recipient of numerous awards.