GalleryLIVONIAN NATIONAL COSTUME
The Livonians, an Ugro-Finnish tribe, were the original inhabitants of the Baltic Sea region, forced coastwards in the course of history by the Latvian tribes. Remnants of them survived also in some parts of Vidzeme, such as Ilzene. As time went on. they mingled with the Latvian tribes, contributing their share to the ethnographical wealth of our nation.
One of the articles of the women's costume was a plaid woven in black, green, violet and red. Sometimes the colours were only black, white and grey. The plaid was edged with long black fringes.
Sometimes either a small white woollen scarf or a coloured kerchief was worn, the ends of which were crossed at the breast.
On week days the women covered their heads with a coloured silken or woollen kerchief. Brides wore a decorative coronet made in the following way: a cardboard foundation was covered with silver brocade and decked with flowers made of silk. The top edge was decorated with large coloured glass beads strung on metal wires. These wires were inter-crossed to form a kind of net. Bright silken ribbons hung down from the back of the coronet.
The married women's head-dress was very richly adorned. It was made of while wool or cotton material and modelled rather like a baby's bonnet. The front was trimmed with a gathered length of lace, and the back decked with flowers made of coloured material, brocade ribbon and large multi-coloured beads. The bonnet was tied with ribbons under the chin.
The blouse was quite plain, made of white cotton material, with a round deep neckline finished with a zigzag trimming. A coloured silken ribbon was pulled through the hem of the neckline and tied in front. The cuff was very wide, with a through seam along Its edge.
A different kind of blouse, resembling those of other Latvian national costumes, was also sometimes worn, with a turn-down collar, attached yoke and cuffs. Tills blouse was also perfectly plain.
The skirt was made of black, red and green striped wool and trimmed with bright woollen braid.
A very unusual silver necklace was worn by Livonian women, consisting of four little chains with small silver balls dangling from them. The balls were covered with little glass-studded knobs.
