A family from Alexandropol with a sheep

An Armenian family from Alexandropol (Gyumri), late 19th – early 20th century. The man, the woman and the child, in traditional dress, were photographed with a sheep, which, according to the source, may have had a symbolic meaning, for example as a symbol of prosperity or of sacrifice.

The woman is seated, wearing a decorated headdress and a veil, with embroidered ornaments on her chest. The bearded man wears a cap, a long coat and a metal belt. Between them a small boy in a cap sits on a pedestal. The sheep lies at their feet, with a bridle on its head.