The Harim and the Purdah: Studies of Oriental WomenCooper, Elizabeth
Religion
The Harim and the Purdah: Studies of Oriental Women
Cooper, Elizabeth
East Asia -- Social life and customs; Women -- East Asia
Many of them tint their straight black locks with henna, by making a
paste which is allowed to dry on the hair for twenty-four hours, then
removed. This, when used not too freely, gives a charming glint of
reddish gold to the thick hair, and utterly obliterates any trace of
age. The henna-tinted locks are not seen as much as formerly, as the
custom is passing out with the advent of the newer generation, and is
mainly to be seen on the older women or the women of the desert. In
former times the nails of the hands were tinted a deep orange, but this
also is being relegated to the “things that were,” as the young girls
are beginning to see that instead of a beautifier, it makes the hands
appear most untidy. I have seen an old lady with her fingers stained a
deep brownish yellow to the first joint, the palms of her hands, the
toes, and even the bottoms of the feet coloured with the henna paste.
The house dress of the Egyptian woman is a long _négligé_ made in an
empire form or what we used to call a “Mother Hubbard,” with the
fullness of the cloth gathered to a much-trimmed yoke, and ending in a
train that sweeps the floor. The wearer may follow her fancy in the
choice of goods with which these dresses are made. The ordinary dress
worn every day is of some material easily laundered, but the gown for
gala occasions is often most elaborate, made of rich silks, satins, or
brocades with great figures in gold or silver. Many of them appear as if
made of cloth originally intended for furniture covering. If she has a
wide range from which to select the material for her dresses, she also
is not restricted in the choice of colours, as each woman indulges in
whatever shades she most admires, and a party of women with their red,
blue, yellow, and mauve creations look like a party of animated dolls
dressed for a fancy bazaar.
The hair is braided in one or two braids and allowed to hang down the
back, sometimes tied with strings on which dangle gold coins or balls. A
veil is always worn over the head, hanging down to the waist line. It is
very graceful and adds to the dignity of the Egyptian woman. With the
poor this head covering is a large piece of cotton with a gay-coloured
border, and even ladies wear in the morning a cotton veil, but on dress
occasions it is of chiffon or net elaborately bordered with gold or
silver, or in some cases sewn with sequins, very similar to the shawls
offered by the vendors in front of the big hotels.
The feet are slipped into toe slippers that can easily be removed when
entering the living-rooms or when sitting upon the divans. In the matter
of footwear there is a wide range from which to choose. From the wooden
bath clog to the tiny heelless covering for the toes, embroidered in
gold or silver or even tiny seed pearls, the Egyptian woman’s slipper is
a thing of beauty and dainty femininity. Stockings are considered a
superfluity while in the house, except by those influenced by the
customs of foreign lands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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