| Majorities of Hazaaras live in the central and northern parts of
the country. They are known mainly for their knitting and for their
cross-stitched embroidery.
Most Hazaara women’s dresses, called topkhanaie, are made
from fine silk, rich velvet, wool or cotton. The dresses usually
end right below the knee or at the mid-calf and have long sleeves.
There is no distinct separation between the bodice of the dress
and the skirt. The collars of the dresses are usually high and completely
covered with metallic threads. As in the rest of Afghanistan, the
Hazaara women wear drawstring trousers underneath their dresses.
The cuffs of the trousers can also be adorned with metallic thread
that is designed in beautiful patterns and shapes. The Hazaara embroidery technique, “zardozi”, consists
of silver or gold covered thread that is laid down and stitched
to the fabric of the dress. It is suspected that this technique
was borrowed from the 18th century dresses of the Persian royalty.
The embroidery in the Hazaara dress is concentrated in several parts
such as the bodice and neck, the sleeves, the skirt-front and the
hem of the dress. There are two types of embroidery. “Zameendozi”
refers to embroidery densely packed on the fabric of the dress.
This type of embroidery is reserved for the clothing that is worn
for the most festive occasions such as weddings. When embroidery
is scattered around the fabric of the dress, it is called “guldozi” Hazaara jewelry is silver, agate and lapis. Hazaara women wear
wide bracelets, chokers, earrings, rings, headpiece, and anklets.
They decorate their vests with silver coins, buttons, seashells
and beads. |
