Saukele (Kazakh Bridal Headdress)
Tall conical wedding headdress of Kazakh brides, covered with silver plaques, coral, beads and gemstones, with a fur-trimmed brow and long veils. The most expensive item of a bride's dowry after the yurt, the saukele symbolised the beginning of married life; it was handed down from mother to daughter and worn until the birth of the first child. The cone is built over a stiffened cloth or felt base, wrapped in velvet or brocade, and studded with silver medallions and carnelian; a fringe of coral and pearls falls over the forehead, and long beaded tassels hang past the shoulders. The weight of a