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Armenian families were patriarchial as was common in most communities a recently as the 19th century. They were also patrilocal which was not always the case among patriarchial societies. this mean that the bride moved to the home of the groom's parents when they married. Marriages were arranged by the families of the bride and groom or by a matchmaker, usually contracted by the groom's family. Armenian village social life placed great emphasis on in-law ( khnami ) relations. Weddings were a social event involving the entire community. Women married at a very young age. Brides ( hars ) averaged about 14 -16 years of age. The groom ( p'esa ) average only a few years older, 15 -20 years. The bride and groom often knew each other, but contacts were very limited. The engagement resulted from intense negotiations between the families. The bride or groom did not participare in these negotiarions. Formally the fathers made the deal, but the mothers' influence on the fathers should not be discounted. This of course varied from fanily to family. When the fathers reached agreemet, the 'word was tied' ( khos-gab ) meaning preengagement. The female relatives on both sides began visiting each other. With the first visit of the girl's entire family to the home of the boy, the actual engagement and in-law relationship was formally established. The engagement might last from several months to 2 years. Fasinatingly, during this time, the proposed couple were not allowed to talk with each other, even during family visits. Age was a factor here. Girls in a family were expcted to marry in order. Girls with older, unmarried sisters, were expected wait for them to marry first. Formal betrothal was celebrated with a sumtous oparty. The girl's family was expected to hiost it. Traditionally at the betrothal celebration, boy's mother placed gold coins or some other ornament (like a ring) on the girl ( nshan ). This symbolized the period of her initiation as bride in the boy's household.
We have very few images of Armenian families. This is an important part of HBC because it shows fashion trends for the whole family and put boys' fashion in a context of how their sisters and parents dressed over time. We see varied dress, both standard local outfit including Turkish as we see here (figure 1) and Western dress as we see on the previous main Armenian page. The family here for example shows a Westernized family. Fashion tells great deal about orientation nd outlook. We do not yet have enough information and images to make any assessments.
Armenian families were patriarchial as was common in most communities a recently as the 19th century. They were also patrilocal which was not always the case among patriarchial societies. this mean that the bride moved to the home of the groom's parents when they married. Marriages were arranged by the families of the bride and groom or by a matchmaker, usually contracted by the groom's family. Armenian village social life placed great emphasis on in-law ( khnami ) relations. Weddings were a social event involving the entire community. Women married at a very young age. Brides ( hars ) averaged about 14 -16 years of age. The groom ( p'esa ) average only a few years older, 15 -20 years. The bride and groom often knew each other, but contacts were very limited. The engagement resulted from intense negotiations between the families. The bride or groom did not participare in these negotiarions. Formally the fathers made the deal, but the mothers' influence on the fathers should not be discounted. This of course varied from fanily to family. When the fathers reached agreemet, the 'word was tied' ( khos-gab ) meaning preengagement. The female relatives on both sides began visiting each other. With the first visit of the girl's entire family to the home of the boy, the actual engagement and in-law relationship was formally established. The engagement might last from several months to 2 years. Fasinatingly, during this time, the proposed couple were not allowed to talk with each other, even during family visits. Age was a factor here. Girls in a family were expcted to marry in order. Girls with older, unmarried sisters, were expected wait for them to marry first. Formal betrothal was celebrated with a sumtous oparty. The girl's family was expected to hiost it. Traditionally at the betrothal celebration, boy's mother placed gold coins or some other ornament (like a ring) on the girl ( nshan ). This symbolized the period of her initiation as bride in the boy's household.
We have very few images of Armenian families. This is an important part of HBC because it shows fashion trends for the whole family and put boys' fashion in a context of how their sisters and parents dressed over time. We see varied dress, both standard local outfit including Turkish as we see here (figure 1) and Western dress as we see on the previous main Armenian page. The family on the previous page shows a Westernized family. Fashion tells great deal about orientation and outlook which is ieful in these images without accompanying information. We do not yet have enough information and images to make any assessments.
Here we see an Aemenian family somewhere in the Ottoman Empire, probably Constantinple (figure 1). The portrait is undted, probably taken about 1880. Notice the turban and fez. Ottoman Sultan Mahmud Khan II (1808-39) introduced the fez as a modernizing influence, but some conservatives clung to the turban. The photographer was J. Pascal Sebah (1823-86), one of the most noted early Amenian photographers.
This cabinet card shows an unidentified Armenian family about the turn-of-the 20th century based on the mount style. We see the mother and five childten about infancy to 10 years of age. Mother and the children wear western dress. The childrn all wear identical white dresses. We think they include both boys and gurls. Given the tight age range, there almot certain no children in his age range left out. Boys with saved heads were not unusual, but girls less so. Perhaps there was a health issue. Thus Contantinople seems a likely source, although there are other possiubilitites. The printed cabinet card front only says 'Cabinet Portrait', common for Eastern European studios. There is a Lilim rug baxkground, suggesting a basic studio. The only writing says 'Vardik Voskanyan', an Armenian name. That may be photographer's name.
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