OF SOME FOREIGN PEASANTS
I regret, from the practical as well as the artistic point of view,
the threatened disappearance of local colouring, as emphasised by the
characteristic costume of the people, for I am convinced that the
adoption of a uniform style of dress by a community greatly furthers the
cause of neatness and economy.
No opportunity being afforded for the display of personal bad taste,
extravagance is discouraged, and the spick and span are virtues which
may distinguish the careful from the slatternly, and reveal much to
the student of character. A love of colour and personal adornment is
inherent in the human race, and it is to be regretted that the relentless
advance of commerce is responsible for the blotting out of a country's
individuality, and reducing all places to the same dead level of monotony.
Differing slightly but distinctly with the locality, the dress of the
peasants of Brittany is second in interest to none in Europe. This fact,
coupled with an instinctive conservatism common to those who "go down to
the sea in ships," is, no doubt, accountable for the tenacity with which
the Bretons cling to their national costume, bearing it with them when
they emigrate and donning it on gala occasions in the new land.
Peculiar to the peasant of Bignon is a white flannel petticoat, the hem
surmounted by a scarlet band. Pleated at the waist, it joins a bodice
fashioned from bright red cloth, which fits closely up to the throat and
is edged with black velvet embroidered in various coloured worsteds,
turned-back cuffs to match finishing the tight elbow-sleeves; while the
apron, in a dark tone of mulberry, fastens by means of a sash tied in a
bow at the side. Covering the head is a small cap of white linen, which
serves as foundation for a conical erection contrived from a coarse
starched texture resembling brown holland. To this is attached a pair
of long flaps, which can be pinned up or left hanging according to the
taste of the wearer. The well-to-do possess a necklace of amber and black
beads, and a gold and ebony crucifix suspended from a narrow black velvet
ribbon.
If dress be an outward and visible sign of character, then should the
people of Quimper be the gayest of the gay. The costume of the district
consists of a laced jacket with tight elbow-sleeves, supplemented by
full white ones which reach to the wrist, and a short petticoat of ample
proportions. Blue is a favourite shade for both corsage and skirt, which
are frequently glorified by the addition of red and gold lace. Blue
and pink inspire the sleeves, the under ones being of white, tied, _au
poignet_, with yellow ribbon. The chemisette displays a multi-coloured
collar, and the apron is in a vivid tone of orange.
The Morbihan department is distinguished by a variety of head-dresses,
some of which are exceedingly high, while all fit closely round the face,
and many display pendent lappets behind.
Odd, but by no means unbecoming, is the costume of the Normandy peasant.
The skirt is of striped woollen material, partially concealed beneath a
red and blue apron. Of black, white, red, or maroon worsted, the bodice
boasts long sleeves, some of which are scarlet in colour from wrist to
elbow and dull claret to the shoulder, a small fringed shawl hiding the
upper portion of the arm. Quite the most striking and important feature
is the _bourgoin_. Evolved from stiff white muslin drawn over a cardboard
shape, it is very high in the crown, the wide brim narrowing towards
the back, whence dangle two lace streamers. The hair is turned up in a
manner best described as clubbed, the ends disappearing beneath the cap,
while on fête-days the head-dress is composed of the very finest muslin,
elaborately trimmed with lace, and fastened by means of a velvet strap
passed under the chin or across the forehead.
The _bourgoin_ is encountered in its most ornate form, however, in the
Pays de Caux, where it is reverently regarded as an heirloom and handed
down from generation to generation. Wonderfully and fearfully made,
the upper portion is of light blue pasteboard strewn with gold tinsel
flowers, and ruffled with muslin bordered with lace. The brim is of
scarlet velvet, lappets floating behind, and a chin-strap holding it in
place. Unlike the women of Brittany, who carefully conceal all traces
of hair, the Normandy peasant arranges hers in coquettish curls on the
temples.
Despite their long and romantic association with the country, and the
impress they left on its architecture and its history, the influence of
the Moors is in nowise apparent in the dress of the Spanish peasantry.
The people of the Peninsula manage to unite in admirable fashion the
practical with the picturesque, as expressed by the costumes peculiar
to the different provinces. What, for instance, could be more happily
conceived than the dress of a Castilian peasant? The short sleeveless
coat, or bolero, consists of coloured cotton edged with an _appliqué_
design in imitation of coarse braid. This is worn in conjunction with a
shirt of white cotton conspicuous for a stand-up collar and sleeves to
the elbow, a wide red sash encircling the waist, where it is held firmly
in place by a narrow leather belt on which the wearer's name, or that of
his fiancée, is embroidered. The tight knickerbockers are of serviceable
texture, gartered at the knee, each showing four silver or gilt buttons
in a row up the outside of the leg. The gaiters combine the duty of
stockings, and are supplemented by low, thick-soled sandals, termed
_alpargatās_ or _espardeñas_, tied round the ankle with gay ribbons. The
fête costume of the women embraces a voluminous skirt of fine cloth,
extending below the knees and trimmed about the bottom with wide and
narrow bands of black ribbon velvet, and an apron, likewise of cloth, but
in a contrasting colour, bordered with gold lace or passementerie. The
closely-fitting jacket reaches to the hips; the seams are outlined in
gold lace, and the sleeves slashed open from the elbow to the wrist to
reveal white under-sleeves belonging to the chemisette, a second glimpse
of which is caught at the neck in front. An immensely long coral chain is
wound countless times about the throat, and dangling from it are sacred
medallions and variously sized crosses, the whole forming a plastron
which descends to the waist. White cotton stockings are usual--red
ones indicating a bride--and black leather shoes relieved with ribbon
rosettes. The hair is plaited, tied with black velvet, and allowed to
hang down behind, and the mitre-shaped hat is of black velvet trimmed up
each side with a serried row of silver buttons.
In Valencia the peasantry of both sexes affect sandals laced up the
leg. The women wear a short, brightly coloured skirt and an apron, the
lower portion of which is in one shade and the upper in another, the
latter being brilliantly embroidered. The tight bodice laces in front
across a white chemisette, and displays long, closely-fitting sleeves,
while the head is enclosed in a white bonnet which forms a frill round
the neck, and is surmounted by a hat with a shallow crown, and a brim
shaped like an inverted saucer. The dress of the men is correspondingly
simple, comprising a light-blue linen waistcoat buttoned up to the chin,
where it is finished with a white collar, a sash, and a short open coat,
remarkable for buttons down both sides. The trousers terminate at the
calf, and a red handkerchief is wound round the head.
In the mountain fastnesses of Catalonia, the women wear, in lieu of a
bonnet, a white veil, which falls to the waist behind, and a crossover
fichu fashioned of cotton, and chiefly notable for a decorative border
in a contrasting shade. Little is seen of the bodice beyond the tight
sleeves, which finish at the wrist with a band of black velvet and a
silver buckle, and the ankle-length skirt is almost concealed by a full
round apron. All the jewellery common to the district is exceptionally
massive and set with red or green stones, the pendent ear-rings of gold
or silver being so heavy that they have to be supported by cords, lest
they should tear the flesh.
A male peasant belonging to the same locality dons a short open coat of
light-blue velvet, long-sleeved and boasting diminutive revers and silver
buttons. The white cotton shirt introduces a turned-down collar and a
gaily-coloured cravat, tied in a sailor's knot and drawn through a silver
ring, and the waistcoat consists of striped red and white calico, while
a scarlet sash supports tight knickerbockers of blue velvet. These are
met by leggings of tan leather, the low shoes being attached by means of
thongs, after the style of sandals. Shaped somewhat like a fool's cap,
the peak of the scarlet head-dress is rolled over in front to form a wide
flap immediately above the brows, a last touch being given by a striped
red and yellow scarf thrown over the left shoulder, the ends edged
with deep fringe and pendent balls. For the mayor, or that important
local dignitary the driver of the diligence, the back of the coat is
embroidered with a pot of flowers in florid tints, while another badge of
office, pertaining to the same functionaries, is a patch of scarlet or
green cloth on either elbow.
A peasant woman of Asturias, is distinguished by a full skirt below the
knees, and a short narrow apron of black velvet traced with a checked
design in silver braid. A joyously-patterned cotton handkerchief is
arranged on the head, and tied in a butterfly bow in front, and the
tight bodice boasts closely-fitting sleeves, turned back with black
velvet cuffs embroidered in a variety of brilliant shades, a small
fringed shawl crossing at the bust and tying at the waist behind. White
thread stockings and black shoes complete the picture.
[Illustration: ALBANIAN PEASANTS.]
The mere mention of the word Switzerland is sufficient to conjure up
a medley of conflicting emotions. Thoughts of Nestlé's milk, Peter's
chocolate, Cook's parties, and picture post-cards adorned with edelweiss,
struggle to obliterate memories of majestic mountains whose hoary peaks
pierce the calm blue of a cloudless sky, of sunsets of awful beauty, and
of sunrises which flood the cold white Alps with roseate light, changing
the silver of the lakes to burnished gold. Homelier visions arise of
wooden chalets daintily perched high on the mountain side, or low in
the valley, of milk and honey, white butter and black bread, and of
fair-haired waitresses in national costume.
Each canton has its distinctive dress.
The peasant women of Lucerne wear large flat hats of smooth straw, the
crown encircled by bows of ribbon interrupted by a bunch of flowers.
The tri-coloured skirt barely covers the knee, where it is met by white
stockings, and the corselet displays lace, embroidery, and brass or
silver buttons. The white chemisette vaunts full short sleeves, and fits
up to the throat, where it is occasionally finished with a broad frill,
while the hair is drawn off the forehead and hangs down the back in two
plaits.
In Solerne the dress of the feminine portion of the community includes
a white petticoat edged with pink, which just shows beneath a black
skirt embroidered with red, while round the neck is knotted a black silk
kerchief, the bodice being red and green and the chemisette of white
muslin with wide sleeves to the elbow. Snowy muslin inspires the large
cap with its gauffered frill, other details being white stockings, ribbon
garters, and black shoes laced with scarlet.
Possibly the prettiest costume of all is to be found in the Canton of St.
Gall. On Sundays and fête-days it comprises a small white muslin cap,
lined with green silk and displaying a crimson crown. The hair is drawn
into a single plait at the back of the head, fastened with long gold or
silver pins. The snowy chemisette finishes with a moderately-sized ruffle
at the throat, and disappears into a velvet stomacher, the little open
jacket bearing a border of coloured ribbons.
Quite the most gaudy dress is that characteristic of Grison. The bodice
is of bright orange, laced with green ribbon over a blue stomacher,
and the skirt is in a penetrating tone of violet hemmed with green, in
brilliant contrast to red stockings worked with white clocks. The effect
is happily modified by a black lace cap, which forms a point on the
forehead and is tied under the chin.
To those in quest of the eminently becoming, the costume of the women
of Unterwalden commends itself. The hair is parted in front, and hangs
down behind in two plaits joined by a species of slide in silver. The
short full skirt is evolved from coarse brown material, the stockings are
blue and the shoes black, with metal heels and ribbon bows. The apron
is provided with a scarlet bib, and the sleeveless corsage is filled in
with a white chemisette, with puffed elbow-sleeves terminating in black
velvet bands and frills of lace. About the neck is a deep filigree silver
collar, from which hang two enormous silver pendants, one resting on the
bust at either side.
[Illustration: THE AUSTRIAN PEASANT-BRIDE IN BLACK.]
The typical Roman peasant woman makes a picturesque figure in a skirt of
some dark material and an apron brightly trimmed with two broadish bands
of embroidery, one appearing immediately below the hips and the other at
the knees. The tight, sleeveless corsage laces behind, and is supported
by narrow shoulder-straps, while the white chemisette has long sleeves
and is low at the throat. Ordinarily the hair is allowed to hang loosely
beneath a head-dress fashioned from a length of snowy linen, folded in
such a way as to form a narrow strip, which is pinned at the temples and
flung back to hang down behind. All but the very poorest wear necklaces,
pendent ear-rings, chains and crosses.
[Illustration: A CROATIAN PEASANT.]
The costume of the Trastaverini, although they are inhabitants of the
same city, differs somewhat from that of the Romans. The women plait
their hair, decorate it with silver bodkins, and confine it in a silk
net. On gala days they don velvet bodices laced with gold, and silk
skirts, which may be white to match the chemisette, or coloured, an
essential accessory being a scarlet apron. The men also wear silk nets,
their jackets being of black velvet enlivened by red silk sashes, while
their black shoes vaunt large silver buckles.
In some of the Pontifical States there is striking resemblance between
the dress common to the district and that associated with the Irish
peasantry. The women tie kerchiefs on their heads in the same way as
their Hibernian sisters, a second point of similarity existing in the
hooded cloaks.
[Illustration: A CROATIAN PEASANT.]
Strangely incongruous though it seems, when taken in conjunction with
their sunny clime and joyous levity of temperament, the peasantry of
Florence exhibit a marked predilection for black. On fête-days the
Tuscans don a tiny hat cocked at an acute angle over the left ear,
the hair at the other side being profusely decorated with pearls or an
ornamental comb. They also display a pretty taste in jewellery, wearing
pearl ear-rings and pearl and coral necklaces, other articles of attire
including black velvet slippers, and sleeveless bodices laced with ribbon
over a white chemisette. Occasionally the hair is turned up in a knot
beneath a veil which hangs down behind, but, when working or going to
market, the women imprison it in a silken mesh adorned with tassels, the
latter being sometimes of gold and silver.
The Bolognese peasant women continue faithful to the tradition of the
_zendada_, a veil falling from the plaited hair and draped over the
shoulders in graceful fashion. Coral is greatly in demand for purposes of
adornment, and combs and pins are liberally employed to decorate the hair.
So intense is her love for finery, that in Lombardy it is a common
occurrence for a peasant woman to spend all her earnings upon jewellery,
going barefoot the while. Another weakness of hers takes the direction
of large German fans in black and gold. These are much in evidence at
all festivities in Turin. Bright colours are preferred to sombre ones,
and it is easy to distinguish girls from married women, as the latter
have square linen veils, while the former allow their hair to be seen,
braiding it, and fastening it with a comb or formidable-looking pin.
[Illustration: IN CORFU TO DAY.]
Economical and self-denying though she may be in other respects, the
peasant woman of Genoa is recklessly extravagant the moment it is a
question of jewellery. To what lengths her passion for display carries
her may be gauged from the fact that when she is going to be married
she thinks nothing of paying seven or eight hundred francs for a necklace.
[Illustration: A GREEK PEASANT IN MEDIÆVAL DAYS.]
Not only are the Croatian women noted for their unusual beauty of face
and form, they are equally famous for their industry, and the national
costume is a marvel of needlework. The example illustrated on page 124
shows embroidery playing its part on the sleeves, the full skirt, and the
bodice. The chemisette is of white lawn, and jewels are around the neck,
and flowers wreathe the head over a lawn cap which conceals the hair.
The sketch of the Croatian man on page 125 shows him in a hat of black
felt, a coat of white bordered with blue, and a cape lined with red,
edged with a pattern formed by an application of red cloth.
A more elaborate edition of this dress permits a gold fringe on the low
crown of the hat, and a red fringe on a deep leather pouch which is held
on the left hip by a leather strap.
[Illustration: A GREEK PEASANT.]
[Illustration: A GREEK PEASANT WOMAN.]
[Illustration: A GREEK BRIGAND.]
[Illustration: A GREEK PRIEST.]
Departing from the classical severity of palla and peplum, the dress of
modern Greece has nothing in common with that of a people who scaled
the heights of immortality in the simplest of garbs. Peasant women wear
spangled petticoats of blue or pink silk, a long-waisted costume of
purple velvet embroidered in gold, high-heeled shoes which display silver
buckles, and a kerchief draped on the plaited hair.
The men resemble the typical stage brigand, in a double-breasted
waistcoat of blue or maroon velvet edged with gold lace, a row of gold or
silver buttons running from either shoulder to meet at the waist, which
is encircled by a brilliantly coloured sash.
A distinguishing note is given by the thoraki, a characteristic garment
of blue cotton, suggesting in form a stiff sack wider at the bottom
than the top, with holes at the corners for the legs to pass through.
A substitute for this is a white petticoat to the knees, and other
accessories are white stockings and black shoes with large silver buckles.
Some resemblance to the costume of ancient Greece may be traced in the
dress of the shepherds, who wear cloaks of sheep's wool or goat's hair,
with bare feet encased in sandals of untanned leather strapped across
the instep and up the lower portion of the leg. Thus attired, might
the Pyrrhian have climbed those mountains which looked on Marathon, as
Marathon looked on the sea.