Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c20.s5.8

v2.c20.s5.8

The description of the dress of the women of Vijayanagara given by Barbosa is to be read in conjunction with that given by Paes, who has the following to narrate: "They have very rich and fine silk cloths; on the head they wear high caps which they call collaes, and on these caps they wear flowers made of large pearls; collars on the neck with jewels of gold very richly set with many emeralds and diamonds and rubies and pearls; and besides this many strings of pearls, and others for shoulder-belts; on the lower part of the arms many bracelets, with half of the upper arm all bare, having armlets in the same way all of precious stones; on the waist many girdles of gold and of precious stones, which girdles hang in order one below the other, almost as far down as half the thigh; besides these belts they have other jewels, and many strings of pearls round the ankles, for they wear very rich anklets even of greater value than the rest. They carry in their hands vessels of gold each as large as a small cask of water; inside there are some loops made of pearls fastened with wax; and inside all this is a lighted lamp. They come in regular order one before the other, in all perhaps sixty women fair and young, from sixteen to twenty years of age ".¹ While describing the scaffoldings near the House of Victory, the same chronicler says: "Against the gates there were two circles in which were the dancing-women, richly arrayed with many jewels of gold and diamonds and many pearls ".²