The Woman Shaman

An Ancient Healing Figure in Turkic Mythology

Embroidery artwork depicting Native American woman with feather headdress holding a dreamcatcher, a wolf howling with steam or smoke rising, a fire with a face, and a black outline of a man in the background.

This embroidery portrays a female shaman believed to communicate with the Sky God and spirits. She appears united with the spirit of fire and accompanied by the she-wolf Asena. Her drum, adorned with cosmological motifs, symbolizes the realms of sky, earth, and the underworld.

Collection: The Musician Goddesses Series


Technique and Medium: This work is embroidered on alpaca fabric using silk shading, backstitch, stem stitch, couching stitch, chain stitch, fishbone stitch, and French knot techniques. Satin ribbon embroidery and beadwork are also incorporated. The piece features cotton mouliné threads and metallic thread.

Dimensions: 35 × 29 cm (height × width)


Inspiration: Inspired by the shamanic cultures of the Sakha (Yakut) and Altai peoples, drum iconography, and ancient Turkic mythology.

A shadow box feature with a daylight scene of stick figures holding hands drawn on a paper background, hanging inside a decorated shell-shaped frame with colored ribbons hanging down.
Decorative mask with tribal-style black illustrations of animals, people, and celestial symbols on a tan background, adorned with colorful ribbons at the bottom, against a dark background.

Shaman Drum

The outer frame of the drum was designed based on Northern Siberian shamanism, while the illustrations on its surface were inspired by Southern Siberian shamanic traditions. It was then custom-made for my collection by the luthier H. Asker.

Detailed information on the materials used in the making of shaman drums, their iconographic features, and the changes they underwent throughout historical development can be found in my articles titled “The Importance and Symbolic Meaning of the Drum in Central Asian Turkic Cultures” (Orta Asya Türk Dünyasında Davul un Önemi ve Simgesel Anlamı”)  and “A Semiotic Perspective on the Uses of the Drum in the Epic of Manas” (Manas Destanı nda Davul un Kullanım Alanlarına Göstergebilimsel Bir Bakış)