The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-11-24


germ of those ideas.
After her baptism the Russian Princess
Olga wore a nuns hood, which symbolic of
servitude; It indicated her RELOCATION to the
household just the religieuse kept within her
cloister.
The maiden, still free from marital domi-
nation, could arrange and decorate her hair as
she might wish, using ribbons and costly pearls.
according TO her station in life.
But after marriage strange man might
see the glory of her locks.
As partial compensation for this sacrifice
of feminine vanity. she was permitted to
an arrangement built something along the lines
of a bishops inter.
This could be decorated as fancy willed or
purse permitted. Gold, silver and precious
stones were lavishly used in the adornment Of
this kokoschnik.
This species of headdress is frequently seen
IN Russia today, and especially upon occasions
when it is desirable TO appear in the national
costume
The koloschnik is seen upon the head of
the czarina at times, and is favoTite with the
ears mother.
A remarkable affair, however. was the orig
inal kokoschnik, the ancestress Of modern Rus
sian headdress. It performed, virtually, the
function of the Oriental vel.
This was because it vas an offense against
morality for married woman to look any man
but her husband in the face, or Permit her face
TO be seen by stranger.
Only in the depths of her household
she permitted to remove the heavily fringed
kokoschnik
EVEN RUSSIA WELDED TO FASHION
In course Of time a more liberal spirit came
20 aid the Russian woman, and the fringe of her
headgear gradually shortened Finally 1t
reduced to mFAely circle of pearls or beads
resting upon the forehead
Many styles and sizes of the kokosehnik sue
ceeded the original and the central idea of each
was reincarnated In its successor. One Of the
styles-the bishops inter effect-which is still to
be seen at times, grew to an enormous height.
Strange to say, at the time of the Hottest
headpiece of this style, the lowest doors were in
vogue in Russia.
This might have been by design, intended to
inculcate still the virtue of humility since a
woman wearing such a towering hat had almost
to crawl through the doors of the house into the
presence of her lord
While the kokoschnik is worn today in its
richest forms, principally at those festivals
where national costume seems demanded, adap
tations of the style IN open mesh make find
favor with many women of the middle classes In
the interior sections.
a simple, turoau-like form Of coiored silk
or cotton is popular among the peasants and
jewellers IN small towns
1t would seem that the miter-like kokosch-
nix had been seized upon a model for the
headdress Of certain classes of Spanish women.
Certainly, its cousin appears to be worn by this
leader of the famous spider dance Of the Toledo
peasants
II looks like hot, heavy and uncomfort-
able burden for a dancer, but it Is considered
"just the thing" by devotees of this Spanish
method of merrynaking.
Undoubtedly the plump, placid maiden of
Amsterdam considers her facial charms most
happily set eff by the inverted fower-pot head
piece Of which shells so fond.
Il may be that some other style might har-