Women churning butter with a khnotsi

The khnotsi is a traditional Armenian means of making butter which, according to the source, has been known since the time of the Kingdom of Urartu. For centuries Armenian women churned butter by hand in a wooden or clay khnotsi, an indispensable household item in every village family. The tradition survives to this day in some villages of Armenia.

The photograph shows two women in headscarves and long dresses. Between them a large barrel-shaped khnotsi hangs from a stand made of three poles. The woman on the left holds it with her hands.