POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Chachvan (face veil) from Russian Turkestan

Object No. 2003/95/1

Writing in 1886 of a visit to Central Asia, Lord Curzon noted that the beauty of the women of Bukhara could not be commented on because "their features were hidden behind a heavy horsehair veil, falling from the top of their head to the bosom." These horsehair veils, or chachvans, were once a common sight. Dating from the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, they were mandatory street wear for all urban Uzbek and Tajik women, from girls of a marriageable age to elderly matriarchs. Chachvans were worn beneath capacious veiling garments or cloaks called paranjas, which were also mentioned by Lord Curzon who described them as resembling "big blue cotton dressing gowns". The chachvan and paranja were never worn inside, except in certain ritual circumstances, as to do so was thought to bring a death wish upon the family. Today, the paranja and chachvan (now made of white net) are used purely symbolically, playing a ritual role in the life cycle of the women of the region - particularly on marriage and upon death. Veiling for women is common practice in many Muslim communities and the tradition of wearing head coverings had long existed throughout Central Asia. After the Communist takeover in the 1920s veiling was actively discouraged and women were encouraged to burn their chachvans and paranjas. By 1959, they had all but disappeared. Although Central Asian women were skilled domestic needlewomen, their chachvans were not produced at home, but were made by gypsy women who had easy access to horsehair. Although production of chachvans has long ceased, many were stored safely away and have thus survived.