Armenian girl from New Julfa

In the late 19th century the well-known photographer Antoin Sevruguin took this photograph of a young woman from New Julfa (Isfahan). The words “Armenian woman” are handwritten on the back of the photograph, probably by Sevruguin himself. A print of this photograph is held in the collection of the Museum of Anthropology.

During the Qajar era, a time when art and culture flourished, the photograph became a postcard and was widely circulated under the title “Armenian girl from New Julfa, Isfahan”. The woman’s clothing and jewellery give an idea of the fashion of the period, especially in the Armenian communities of Isfahan.

The woman is seated and shown in profile, wearing an embroidered cap and headscarf, earrings, a necklace and an ornate dress with wide sleeves.