Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/122

98 town’s fashion of the eighteenth century. The light blue short skirts cover a considerable number of petticoats, and in striking contrast, their stockings are of a bright red hue which in turn show to advantage by ending in a neat low black shoe. A pretty silk apron and gaily embroidered bodice completes the summer costume. The headdress was large in proportion to the considerable width of the petticoats, and consists of a large cap adorned with long horizontal flaps in nice open work, the cap being sometimes tied with a fine white hankerchief beautifully embroidered.

The nearer we approach to Prague and to the north and north west frontier, the signs of the present day increase, busy factories meet the eye, and just as the evidence of modern commercial life grows stronger, so traces of old customs and fashion become few and faint until in the busy towns it is to the Museums we must go to learn the lessons of the past.

The characteristic features of the various national costumes in Bohemia, more especially in the dress of the olden time, is the evident aim at producing a good effect, not by the use of expensive materials, but by the display of rich embroidery. In this respect the dress of the peasant class in Bohemia is akin to Moravia and other Slavonic countries. Wherever embroidery can be applied it is certain to be done, the borders of aprons, the collars and tails of men’s coats, women’s bodices, collars, cuffs, chemises, caps and coifs. The scarf and kerchief for headwear generally show some especially fine examples of the embroidered work. Occasionally the latter is set off with artistically formed bow. Such a linen kerchief is often worth less than 1 s. 6 d., but the embroidery executed in silk with infinite pains in the working art of elaborate designs, enhances its value to ten times this sum. Some caps; not larger than two palms, are absolutely covered with the finest needlework of knotted and flat stitches, forming a graceful pattern of a light grey shade and bordered with broad pillow lace which matches fine old Valenciennes,—now worth more than 8 s. The aprons are often of coarse blue linen which is woven and dyed by the weavers