Cradle Spout (Shümek)

Description

A shümek made of transparent light-green glass. It has the form of a long, narrow tube. The upper part is expanded, with a short tubular receiving element formed on one side. The upper end terminates in a rounded knob. The main elongated tube gradually narrows towards the lower end, which is broken. The glass surface shows areas of clouding, yellowish staining and minor flaking associated with ageing and deterioration of the material.
The shümek was used as a hygiene device fitted into a traditional infant cradle (besik). It served to direct the infant’s urine into a separate receptacle known as a tübek. The elongated tubular section conducted the liquid downward. Used together, the shümek and tübek helped keep the infant and cradle bedding clean and dry. Archaeological examples of glass shümek and tübek associated with cradles are known from the Otyrar region.
A distinctive feature of this object is its manufacture from glass. Producing a long, narrow and structurally complex tubular object demonstrates the use of glassblowing and hot-forming techniques by medieval craftsmen. The variety of glass objects recovered from Otyrar and Kuyryktobe reflects the developed glassworking tradition of the region.
The object is an archaeological source illustrating infant-care practices, cradle culture, everyday hygiene and the development of glassworking in the Otyrar oasis during the 11th-12th centuries.