Late 20th-Century Central Asian Sport Watercolor by Asan Raimkulov

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Description

On offer is a dramatic sporting watercolor of a traditional Central Asian equestrian game, "Ulak Tartysh" or "Kokbaru", depending on … Read more On offer is a dramatic sporting watercolor of a traditional Central Asian equestrian game, "Ulak Tartysh" or "Kokbaru", depending on whether it’s being played in Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan. Similar to polo—and as intense as depicted in this work by the artist Asan Raimkulov—this game is traditionally played with a goat carcass.

The focus on Ulak Tartysh/Kokbaru points toward a strong commitment to local identity, a hallmark of Central Asian painters working during and immediately after the Soviet period. Watercolor on paper was frequently used by regional artists for dynamic, on-the-scene movement studies of horses, landscape sketches, and sporting events.

STYLE: The painting demonstrates a skilled hand in watercolor realism. The anatomy of the horses, the depiction of dust and movement, and the traditional clothing/hats (including what appears to be the Kyrgyz kalpak or traditional leather headgear) showcase an artist deeply familiar with horse culture and Central Asian nomadic traditions.

VERSO: The handwritten text on the back of the artwork translates to English as follows:
"Ulak Tartysh" "Kokbaru" (the sport in the two languages.)
Akv. bum. 24x34 (Abbreviations for: watercolor, paper and centimeter dimensions)
Raimkulov A. K. (the artist)

ARTIST: In the lower right corner, the painting is signed "Asan R." This indicates that the artist's first name is Asan (a common Kyrgyz/Kazakh name), aligning perfectly with the "A. K." initials on the reverse (Asan Raimkulov). Biographical records for an artist with the exact initials "Raimkulov A. K." are not widely documented in mainstream art history databases. However, given the context of the painting—the specific choice of subject matter (Ulak Tartysh / Kokbaru) and the use of the Russian abbreviation for watercolor on paper (Akv. bum.)—the artist is almost certainly from Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, where these specific cultural sports are celebrated and the Russian language historically dominates academic art documentation.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Lower right corner (photo #5). Image dimensions: 7 inches high x 11 inches wide. See less