Page:Costume, fanciful, historical, and theatrical (1906).djvu/181

XII either side with worsted of different colours. The gown, which is woollen, somewhat in the shape of the habit of the Jesuits in college, reaches to the knees, and is fastened by a girdle. The head-dress is very remarkable and intricate, including much wrapping of a towel, over which is placed a helmet made of the bark of a tree, ornamented by a piece of cloth and copecs, and covered with a handkerchief wrought with worsted of different colours and edged with a fringe.

The Mordvine women, if married, have the privilege of wearing a high cap worked in coloured threads, with flaps hanging down at the back, adorned with chains and pendent fringes. The linen petticoats and aprons show much embroidery of red and blue and many fringes, and tassels and beads hang down behind.

Linen and ribbons, embroidery and coloured worsted, are the common features of dresses in all the villages, and the plait of hair, with strings of coral and ribbon, afford the young girl some opportunity for coquetry; and at Kirguise there is a head-dress specially worthy of note. Three or four yards of material are placed on the head, with the ends hanging on either side of the face, and over this is bound another stuff to form a turban, the hair being plaited in two and brought up over the head to fall down again over the ears.

In Cracow the open shirt is decked with collar and wristbands tied with ribbons, and over this is a tunic reaching to the knee, fastened in front, and held by a girdle ornamented with copper studs. The cap of cloth bordered with fur is common in this district as in many others.