Women’s Veiling: Everyday and Ceremonial Practices of Central-Asian Peoples

Abstract

The study presents an analysis of traditional forms of clothing serving for women’s veiling in Central Asia in the period from the second half of the 19th century to the 20th century, focusing on its occurrence and importance in both everyday and ceremonial practices. The study addresses particular types of veiling, their common features, and differences related to the manner of wearing, as well as the materials and the decorative designs used. An important part of the study is a catalogue representing individual types of clothing from the above determined period from the museum collections of the Russian Museum of Ethnography in St. Petersburg and the National Museum – the Náprstek Museum in Prague.

Keywords

• women’s veiling
• central asia
• clothing
• coat
• headdress
• veil
• headscarf
• wedding ceremony