Woman of the Harem

Notes:

P. 123 "A Persian lady, when at home, doesn't load herself with clothes; and in her finery she seems to attach little value to the beauty of form.  Very ample trowsers of thick velvet cover the whole of the lower part of the body down to the heels.  Over theses trowsers is worn a peerahun or chemise of muslin, silk, or gauze, which is open in front nearly down to the waist, and buttons down the bosom by means of a number of loops and small buttons of silk, gold, or silver.  Over the peerahun is generally fastened a girdle of skin, covered with cloth or silk, embroidered, and decorated with a plate of gold or silver, and precious stones.   Such is the summer costume.  The winter dress is the same, with the addition of a short upper garment resembling a jacket, and shawls in which the women wrap themselves as a protection from the cold.  The covering for the feet is a kind of slipper, with a sole of ivory, metal, or some hard sort of wood." The trousers of this full pantaloon style are called shalwar (Shoberl 1843, p. 113). The peerahun is also known as the pirahan (Vogelsang-Eastwood, p. 9).

Date Created:

1845-01-01T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Western Michigan University. Libraries

Collection:

Costume History Collection

Subject Topic:

Qajar, chemise, veil (headgear), shalwar, trousers, slippers (shoes), harems, shalwar, Shoberl, Frederic, 1775-1853, Harems, Clothing and dress--Iran, Harem girl, and Iran (nation)

Rights:

For use of digital image, contact Special Collections, Waldo Library, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA 49008-5324

URL:

https://luna.library.wmich.edu/luna/servlet/detail/WMUwmu~85~85~431307~127810