(Continued from Page 10)
“Time, you old gypsy man, will you not stay,
put up your caravan just for one day?”
~ Ralph Hodgson, English Poet
No article about the Gypsy Vanner horses would be complete without
a few photos of the Romani Gypsy Vardos they pulled. The Vardos were
traveling bow-top style wagons, which served as the Gypsies’ permanent
homes.
LAVISHLY EMBELLISHED
These superbly crafted travelling wagons were prized for their practicality
as well as elaborately decorated esthetics full of ornately painting and
beautifully executed hand carvings with traditional Romani symbols.
Due to fleeing long-standing persecution and discrimination, the vardos
were designed to be lightweight enough to be drawn by one horse, which
accommodated the Gypsies’ nomadic lifestyle. The interiors master the art
of organization beyond compare, storing an entire family’s possessions
in a very limited space.
Hopefully, these vardos and their Gypsy owners will continue to thrive
and prosper, shining their fairy-tale beauty throughout our world.
(Continued on Page 12)
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Neighbors-March 2011