The complete outfit of a bride from the Tengushevsky district was striking in its luxury and splendor. The original cut of the dress, numerous ornaments and the majestic headdress created a formal and festive look. One of the characteristic features of the bride’s attire was the abundant use of silver sequins, which were sewn over the embroidery. They patterned the appliqué on the back of the shirts, which made the attire sparkle like a jewel, resembling royal clothing in the people’s view.
The outer shirt— nangun panar — is of particular interest. This type of clothing dates back to ancient times and was worn over two other shirts, with the hem lifted up to show the ornate embroidery. The sleeves were made unusually wide, and they were put in folds on the shoulders and pinned with fibulas. The width of the shirt was enough to allow for a large, soft overlap.
A hip ornament — a trapezoidal cushion called siri garks or karks pulo — was an obligatory element of a woman’s costume. It was customary to tie on the loincloth an embroidered wide belt, trimmed with a burgundy fringe of raw silk — nukur nangon karks. Another belt — kopu nungun karks — hid its undecorated ties in the front. These belts were made of embroidered fragments cut from old, worn-out ritual clothes. The belt set was completed by the tsect pendants attached to the belt and a pair of side towels.
A distinctive feature of the attire of the Erzya women of this local group is a beautiful cross shoulder ornament — ozha nuchka. Mordovian cross shoulder ornaments were not only a functional element but also a talisman.
A syulgam chest ornament joined and covered the edges of the shirt collar cut.
The main headdress in the outfit of an Erzya bride was a soroka — a cap with a high front part, slightly rounded on top. The hair was tightly braided at the temples and arranged on the top of the head in the form of a crest so that the headdress would hold up beautifully. The white balls of goose down complemented the festive headdress and created a ceremonial image of the bride.
The outer shirt— nangun panar — is of particular interest. This type of clothing dates back to ancient times and was worn over two other shirts, with the hem lifted up to show the ornate embroidery. The sleeves were made unusually wide, and they were put in folds on the shoulders and pinned with fibulas. The width of the shirt was enough to allow for a large, soft overlap.
A hip ornament — a trapezoidal cushion called siri garks or karks pulo — was an obligatory element of a woman’s costume. It was customary to tie on the loincloth an embroidered wide belt, trimmed with a burgundy fringe of raw silk — nukur nangon karks. Another belt — kopu nungun karks — hid its undecorated ties in the front. These belts were made of embroidered fragments cut from old, worn-out ritual clothes. The belt set was completed by the tsect pendants attached to the belt and a pair of side towels.
A distinctive feature of the attire of the Erzya women of this local group is a beautiful cross shoulder ornament — ozha nuchka. Mordovian cross shoulder ornaments were not only a functional element but also a talisman.
A syulgam chest ornament joined and covered the edges of the shirt collar cut.
The main headdress in the outfit of an Erzya bride was a soroka — a cap with a high front part, slightly rounded on top. The hair was tightly braided at the temples and arranged on the top of the head in the form of a crest so that the headdress would hold up beautifully. The white balls of goose down complemented the festive headdress and created a ceremonial image of the bride.
