Women’s costumes of many peoples of Dagestan were profusely decorated with various sew-on and removable items. Each detail had its meaning. Belts decorated with metallic elements and buckles were worn mostly by Lezgins, but sometimes their neighbours (Dargins, Laks and South Avars) also wore them.

In the 19th century, Lezgin women wore a kind of overdress called valchag. It was a slim fit velvet or sateen dress that was worn over an undershirt. It was also referred to as women’s variant of a chokha. The valchag always went with an ornate silver belt. You can see one of such belts in the collection of Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts.

Women’s belts were rather bulky and heavy. As a rule, they were worn over a wedding attire that was also quite voluminous and consisted of many layers. The belt is typically decorated with a very wide buckle with a round central part which covered the hook with the help of which it was fixed. Since ancient times, the Dagestanians considered gold a metal with negative energy that brought bad luck to its owner, and that is why many articles were made from silver.

The Lezgin traditional costume differed from the clothes worn by other peoples: it had brighter, more vibrant colors. This tradition also affected the jewelry. The belt is profusely decorated with inserts of colored glass, coins, pendants and other small details. The valchag was usually made from dark fabric: blue, violet, or green, so the bright belt served as an accent.

The center of the round part of the belt was decorated with a round element the shape of which resembled a tent. It featured either black finishing and engraving or filigree (an openwork wire pattern) on it. Similar ‘tents’ were also placed at the sides of the belt. On the leather base, coins, buckles and paisley-shaped small pendants were fixed. The paisley ornament came to Dagestan from Iran where it symbolized flames that were considered sacred.

Similar belts were also used in Azerbaijani traditional costumes. They were up to 12 cm in width and tightly clasped the waist to emphasize the owner’s slender figure. The belt was considered the main accessory of the costume. Other silver belts were worn by men: it was on the belt that the highlanders fastened their daggers and other objects that they needed.