photograph

These two women are churning a large quantity of butter

Vilayet of Bitlis/Paghesh

These two women are churning a large quantity of butter. The woman on the left is probably the proprietor, for she is dressed in nice clothes and wears a pair of shoes. The woman on the right is the servant. Her clothes are tattered and her feet are bare. The cream is poured into the spout on top. The women will swing the heavy ceramic vessel for about 45 minutes, after which they will open it up from the side and pour out the skim milk before scraping out the butter. (Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections)

Bitlis, Turkey

circa 1800s

Houshamadyan - http://www.houshamadyan.org

photograph | Turkey | genocide | Armenia | Houshamadyan