Sodiq Zaripov is located in the Sougd region of Tajikistan, in Istaravshan.
Hi is craftsman in the 5th generation. From his education he is an economist, but couldn’t stop the wish of his heart to work with the wood. He had finished the tajik governmental University, but all his ancestors were craftsmen. His family and two other person helped him to develop his skills. He is working in wood handicrafts now already since 1996.
” Usto (respectful title for “master” in Tajikistan) Sodiq has devoted his entire life to women’s hair. For many years he has produced the famous Tajik combs. His skill was highly prized even by foreigners, and in 2005 Usto Sodiq’s combs received a quality certificate from UNESCO. Every year at various fairs, the Master sells hundreds of his combs. And he advises which tree would provide the best type of comb for each customer: walnut, apricot, pear, apple, hawthorn or boxwood. One look is enough for the Master to determine the structure of the customer’s hair. Furthermore, insists the Master, from which part of the tree trunk a particular comb was cut plays a big role. As the Master explains, the wood gets darker closer to the center because of the liquid and oil, which gets even darker if the three was grown at higher altitudes. But for oily hair, he cuts wood combs from along the edges of the trunk.
Some of his works:
Information and contact: Nigina Ikromi
Contact in Austria KultEurasia
