Altai: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Hemeria
Publishing:6th Oct '26
£55.00
This title is due to be published on 6th October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Witness the ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles in ALTAI: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia in this debut photobook from photojournalist and fine art photographer Claire Thomas.
Up in the Bayan-Ölgii province of western Mongolia, the land and wildlife set daily rhythms, and traditions are practiced, not merely preserved. Horses, once ridden by Mongolian warriors across frontiers and battlefields in the time of Genghis Khan, are now anchors of nomadic life. For centuries, they have also been inseparable from eagle hunting, with horse, bird, and hunter performing a tightly choreographed dance in symbiosis, each with a role to play, perfected over time. The eagle: the eye in the sky. The horse: the heartbeat that carries hunter and tradition across the landscape.
ALTAI is an invitation into the highlands, homes, and hearts of ethnic Kazakh golden eagle hunters, where captivating photography meets thoughtful essays shaped by experience. The fruit of nearly 7 years of riding, flying, and growing alongside these nomadic families, this book pays tribute to ancient traditions in action, passed down through generations, and documents a world in flux as living heritage adapts in the name of progress and survival.
Explore culture in the Altai mountains across four themes:
- Horses: A tribute to the partnership between people and horses, essential to work, travel, and heritage
- Hunting: A window into the trust and companionship between hunter and golden eagle at the heart of this centuries-old tradition
- Herding: A glimpse into a world where the herd remains the foundation of everyday life
- Home: A celebration of the intimate, domestic moments that anchor rural life, where Kazakh culture lives on in the warmth of home and the closeness of family.
ALTAI holds a world in suspension within its pages, inviting us to treasure what must be cherished and carried forward and to consider how to live in balance with animals, our environment, and one another.
"In the seven years since her first visit, Thomas has returned to Mongolia’s Altai Mountains countless times, deepening her connections with its dramatic landscape and the groups that populate it. […] The volume gathers photographs of hunters with eagles perched on their arms; herders tending to camels, cows, sheep, and horses; scenes of domestic life amid stunning mountain backdrops; and moments of resilience as seasons slowly shift." —Eva Baron, My Modern Met
"Over several years, photographer Claire Thomas spent time with this community and documented the eagle hunters in these beautiful photos […] In a time when the heritage of communities like these is threatened by climate change and urbanization, Thomas wanted to capture a reminder of the 'spirit, beauty, and wisdom that comes from living in close connection with the natural world.'" —Imagine5
"For Welsh photojournalist Claire Thomas, this northern region’s unique nomadic culture proved to be a veritable wellspring of astonishing encounters as she observed its 21st-century adaptations. Forthcoming from Hemeria, Altai: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia is a trove of intimate photographs chronicling Thomas’ immersion in this part of the world. She captures indelible features of the Kazakhs’ nomadic lifeway, experiencing everyday life in yurt-like homes called gers and participating in pastoral practices amid a vast grassland steppe, framed by rugged peaks."—Kate Mothes, Colossal
"Claire Thomas has photographed some of the most important stories of our times, from the refugee crisis in Europe to the battle against ISIS in Iraq, contributing her images to leading publications such as the New York Times, the Sunday Times and National Geographic. Her deep interest in humanity, and in particular people’s relationship with the natural word, has taken her time and again to western Mongolia, where she has built a body of work documenting the lives of Kazakh herders and eagle hunters."—Outdoor Photography
"Claire Thomas has photographed the world […] In the Altai mountains of Mongolia, she has marched with tribes people and learned about Kazakh eagle hunters. Her photography has helped put on record such ancient traditions threatened by urban growth and climate change - all a long way from her home village of Idole, a few miles outside Carmarthen. But she said: 'I think we always hope that our work makes a difference. And I think collectively it does. If there were no photographers, if there were no storytellers, the stories wouldn't be heard.'" —BBC
ISBN: 9782490952748
Dimensions: 299mm x 240mm x 20mm
Weight: unknown
184 pages