The monograph "Karakalpak ornament: image and meaning" introduces the reader to the figurative language of Karakalpak decorative-applied art represented in ornamental forms. The enduring significance of this sign system was determined by the Karakalpak people's lack of writing in the historical past. Along with its artistic and aesthetic value, ornaments had a major communicative function. Having preserved its ancient roots, it is also a unique source for studying the centuries-old traditions of the people, its ethnogenesis and ethnic history, worldview, contacts and relations with neighboring cultures.