Identifier: visittorussiansi00phib (find matches)
Title: A visit to the Russians in central Asia
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Phibbs, Isabelle Mary
Subjects: Russians -- Asia, Central Asia, Central -- Description and travel
Publisher: London : K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ians to look after their horses, and doubtless theywould have been surprised to hear that theywere less interesting than the despised womenwho were making felt and carpets with greatdexterity and with no pattern before them. Iwas told that married women only work in thismanner. They give a carpet for their daugh-ters dowries, and would never sell what theymake for that purpose. Some horses belono;incr to the Turkomanswere exhibited, gay with elaborate trappings ;they had broad engraved silver pieces on thereins, in some cases enamelled and adornedwith large turquoises and other stones. Infront of the chest the chief ornament consistedof a handsome boss, also of enamel or engravedand jewelled silver. Upon our arrival at thevillage, bread and salt were offered by theprincipal men of the tribe. A few miles fartherat an unenclosed «/// some native musicians,in honour of the visitors, discoursed anythingbut sweet music through cane pipes ! Theystood in a row, young men and old writhing to
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in Central Asia 97 the emotions they wished to inspire, bending-backwards and throwinj^ up their heads in theirstruggles to reach high notes. It was a painfulexhibition, but gave evident pleasure to thebystanders. The English ladies were invitedto enter a kibitka, round which were seatedin Oriental fashion about eight or ten womenwith whom they shook hands and who seemedpleased with the visit. Some of them woremany rings and bracelets and heavy ornamentson their heads and round their necks. It wasamusing to notice their simple devices to drawattention to these decorations. I did not knowhow many were the wives of one Turkoman ;as a rule the men of these tribes do not havemore than two wives. The women are notveiled, but they wear a shawl over their headswhich they can use as a veil for the lower partof their faces, and they seem to do so by aninstinctive movement when men are present.They wear this kind of shawl sometimesover a high head-piece made of reeds whichis peculiar to this pa

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