We have a vast collection of images here which have been shared over the years ...
Click on an image to see the discussions around the piece.
Enjoy!
You need to be a member of Ethnic Jewels to add comments!
Request your copy of our newsletter.
If you would like to receive our newsletter
Comments
I love this sunny piece it is the top of a long dress Afghan
yes this type of embroidery with the silk is a bit different from some other styles I have had. I noticed this particular type of embroidery also coming out last year or so. I have been wearing Afghan dresses since age 13 ( that is a long time....ha ha ) and never saw this type with all over sleeve embroidery before. this must be some un attained region that was recently plundered. The usual koochi and other style of dresses are different. This has a bit more Hazara style embroidery but it's again very different also.
Thank you for the info. I wondered why I had not seen it before. I have had these kind of dresses forever but not with this type of embroidery. Is there a reason why all of a sudden these are coming out? Also why are they cutting the dresses away instead of selling them complete? Do you know if they still wear these in this region or are these just being kept away and now sold off? I wouldn't imagine the girls are still doing this type of embroidery? are they? Is the dress portion completely plain or are there embroideries on the seams? I have other dresses that are embroidered on seams. I have not taken photos of many of my own cloths so since you seem to know where these are from I will post more for you to see. thanks!
To me when I collect and own , the ethnography is very important. I love all the information as much as the pieces. I would love to see people wearing them and or old photos. I have many books on the subject but non on this style of dress. I figured it was because silk was fragile and the weighty upper is very strong. I have one beatuful dress I don't wear as much due to the silk getting fragile.. It is about 100 years old or so. I wore it alot but now have it away. will post a photo. I some how see very few places where they are actually wearing garments like this now. I would not have thought in war torn Afghanistan or parts of Pakistan things would be the same. Even in the North West Frontier province , what i see now in photos bears little resembelence to 20 years ago when I was there. The costume in my mind is even more rare and difficult because of the nature of the material. Jewelry is always the first items to be saved or re used but clothing is very volnerable. It is also the real identifying nature of the tribe or group so it is very important culturaly.
This is more closely similar to the types that I purchased when I was younger.
The examples that are all over embroidered with the silky pom poms instead of the bead work buttons, are similar to work one sees in the Sindh area and on blouses from Thar Pharkar area.
Yes I know some that live in states and as modern as they try to be, they are very conservative, the woman can not leave house even here in states. Yes there are tribal trubunes that decide disputes. I think it's ok myself if that's working for that group of people. The only time it doesn't work is if westerners get in and try and tell them otherwise. I am not one for modernization unless of coarse the people want it themselves. then it's different. I'm agreeing that the woman are hard to photograph. When I did it , I became friendly with them and since I'm a woman was able to ask permission of the husbands who liked me due to my not be a tourist type. I frequently photographed woman in Kashmere, and parts of Gilgit and all along the Sindh areas. Since I lived in India and one time married to an Indian, I am well aware of what goes on!