There I was walking down one of the many streets in the historical centre of Bukhara, idly looking at stuff being sold at the many pavement stalls lining the street. As I passed the stalls, I made a mental note of the interesting stuff that I could come back and have a closer look at later and perhaps pick up something to take back home with me. There were carpets, paintings, booklets, terracotta figurines, ceramic tiles, silk scarves, embroidered material, ikat products, hats…
I suddenly stopped at a stall selling hats. There were many hats, but one of them had caught my attention. And I stopped and stared with disbelieving eyes. I actually rubbed my eyes and tentatively reached out to touch the hat with ‘legs’ dangling from it.
Every place has its share of the funny, quirky and the bizarre and this hat with legs was definitely my pick for Bukhara and Uzbekistan. I saw similar ones in Samarkand too ! It was a real hat in the sense that the fur was real as were the legs and the feet and the nails… of what I think was once a fox.
As I was looking at the hat in morbid fascination, a voice behind me asked if I would like to try on the hat. It was the stall owner.
I fled.
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Weird..
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Absolutely. Wearing fur or animal skin is bad enough, but to have two legs dangling on either side of your head is something else !
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This is one hat I wouldn’t be caught dead in — because it has the dead fox still in it 😛 BTW, did you see anyone wearing it?
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Yes, I did. Came across one lady wearing something similar in Samarkand. She too was a seller of hats, and I think she was modelling the hat with legs ! It was creepy.
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Must be very warm though!!!
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I suppose so and quite perfect for the Central Asian winters.
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interesting. I have seen a lady in Germany years ago wearing a similar kind of stole . It is called “Fuchs” and I cannot forget how I as a teenager found it hard hide my smirk.
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I guess, I would have smirked if I was a teenager. But this time, I just fled in horror. 😮
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i would do too .
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You’re supposed to tie up the poor dead creature’s legs at your neck or chest
You know, so the hat doesn’t fall off, should a wind pick up. I’ve seen this in sculpture. For example:
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/242008
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I would never wear something like this, Anon. I’d rather freeze or develop frostbite or a sore throat than wear something like this ! But that sculpture of Herakles you shared is Wow !
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Hahah!! That was a hat?! :O 😉
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Yes, that was a hat. A supposedly very warm hat. 😦
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My heart bleeds to see stuff like these! Poor animal 😦 Wonder when they’ll stop killing animals in the name of fashion
Faux leather would look just as nice (Or weird)
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Welcome here Beautyglossips, and thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I can’t bear to wear fur or leather and cannot understand how people can wear it. I do believe in a policy of live and let live and wish I could say ‘each to his/her own’, but in this case it is difficult.
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Oops! I’m glad I did not see any such sight.
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You haven’t? You’ll get your chance soon though since you’ll be visiting at the beginning of winter !
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