PLATE XII.
A TCHOUVASHIAN FEMALE.
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1 HE Tchouvashi live in the same part of the Russian empire as the
Tcheremhisi, and are of Finlandic origin; they have, however, a
pecuhar dialect. In other respects they are very similar, and are not
more enlightened than their neighbours. The dress of the men is
nearly the same; and there is no distinction in dress among the women
between the married and unmarried. In summer they seldom wear
any thing over their shifts, which are fastened by a girdle, called sarr,
and have a fringe, or border, of a different colour. In winter they
wear a robe made either of skin, or coloured cloth. Their bonnets are
called ghouspou, and are ornamented with glass beads and pieces of
silver money. They wear over their head a piece of white linen,
worked and ornamented round the borders with beads, over which
they wear their bonnet. Those, who are promised in marriage, cover
the face with a veil, called sourhan; but the married women fold this
veil back on each side, and fasten it under their throat by means of a
ring. In some villages the women never wear bonnets, but a sort of
bandeau worked and ornamented with small white or speckled shells.
They also wear a broad piece of hnen, worked like their head-dress,
which fastens to tlieir neck, or back part of the head, and comes down
before almost to their girdle. Their shoes are formed from the bark
of a tree; and they wrap a piece of linen round their legs and feet,
instead of stockings.
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