Female Festive Costume
Nizhny Novgorod Gubernia. Mid-19th century
- Velvet, stitching on cardboard, gold fringe, brocade, gold embroidery, fabric, gold threads, spangles, канитель, шнур, mother of pearl, glass, silk, laid embroidery, stringing
- Тк-80; В-2629; В-6720; В-2794
Shugai
Velvet, gold embroidery over cardboard, gold fringe
An important item of women’s clothing was the shugai, an outer garment with long sleeves and a large collar (or no collar), divided in two parts at the waist or below the breast, with pleats below the dividing line. Shugais were festive cloths and made of expensive fabrics (damask, velvet, brocade) and decorated with ribbons, gold galloon and fringe.
Sarafan
Brocade, gold lace
Kokoshnik
Velvet, gold embroidery
Ochelye
Fabric, gold threads, spangles, purl, lace, mother of pearl, glass, silk, laid embroidery, stringing
The rich costumes of 19th-century Nizhny Novgorod townswomen were usually sewn from factory-made brocade, velvet, damask or silk cloth. The gold and silver patterns woven or embroidered on their various parts make them glitter from head to foot. Favorite ornamental motifs for the gold embroidery were bunches of grapes, roses or carnations as well as bouquets wreathed in winding vines.
These enormous round-topped velvet kokoshniks adorned with galloon and gold embroidery can have a “wingspan” of up to sixty centimeters.