The Apprentice
Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan 2013
A young man, maybe 15 or 16 years old begins his working life in the workroom of a famed silk manufacturer. His job is to thread spun silk onto a pole. After that he will tie it in places in preparation for the tie-dye process to make the unique Uzbek ikat designs. He is a slender young man with small dexterous hands. Will he spend his whole life in this room, tying and threading until he is as old as the man in the corner? Somehow I hope not…but maybe this is all he can ask for in a country where the government can force families to raise silk worms in their homes and force children to pick cotton instead of attending school.
To visit the famed silk makers of Uzbekistan contact Penelope at www.uzbekjourneys.com