Women wore the beldemchi over their dress and trousers during celebrations and when visiting friends and relatives. Fastened with pieces of cloth around the hips, it was often lined with wool and padded with cotton batting. In the southwest region of Kyrgyzstan, it was made of narrow strips of fabric, while in villages close to the Uzbek border beldemchi were made of brightly colored fabric purchased from the Uzbeks. The pieces of cloth tied around a woman’s hips at burial is also called beldemchi, signifying the garment's ancient origins.
Apron skirt (beldemchi)
circa
1950
1970
Made in
Pamir Alai region
Kyrgyzstan
IQM, Gift of the Robert and Ardis James Foundation