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= Vardo_(Romani_wagon) =
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Introduction
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A vardo (also Romani wag(g)on, Gypsy wagon, living wagon, caravan, van
and house-on-wheels) is a four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle
traditionally used by travelling Romanichal as their home. The name
'vardo' is a Romani term believed to have originated from the Ossetic
'wærdon' meaning cart or carriage. It is pulled by a single horse in
shafts, sometimes with a second horse (called a 'sider' or
'sideliner') hitched on its right side outside the shafts to help pull
heavier loads or assist in pulling up a hill. The vehicle is typically
highly decorated, intricately carved, brightly painted, and even
gilded. The Romanichal tradition of the vardo is seen as a high
cultural point of both artistic design and a masterpiece of
woodcrafter's art.
The heyday of the caravan lasted for roughly 70 years, from the
mid-nineteenth century through the first two decades of the twentieth
century. Not used for year-round living today, they are shown at the
cultural gatherings held throughout the year, the best known of which
is Appleby Horse Fair in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in
Cumbria, North West England.
Design
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A vardo's design includes large wheels set outside the body, whose
sides slope outward considerably as they rise toward the eaves. Beyond
this characteristic, the six types of caravans differ in shape, size,
placement of the wheels relative to the bed, where made, and maker.
The roofs of the bow-top and open-lot types are canvas stretched over
curved wooden frames; the others are roofed in wood. By the
mid-nineteenth century, the designs were almost entirely standardized,
and some features are common to all types. The door is almost always
in the front.
The small cast-iron cooking stove was invented in America and was
available there and in Great Britain from about 1830 on and is a
common fixture of the wagons. A cooking stove necessitates a chimney
to vent smoke. A caravan's chimney is always on its left side as
viewed from its front doorway; as the caravan travels along the left
side of the road, the chimney is in less danger from low-hanging tree
limbs in that position. The stove rests in a wooden fireplace.
The wagon's interior is typically outfitted with built-in seats,
cabinets, a wardrobe, bunks in the rear of the caravan, a chest of
drawers, and a glass-fronted china cabinet. There are windows on the
left side and rear. Some types have clerestories which let in light
and air. A bracket for an oil lamp is mounted over the chest of
drawers opposite the fireplace; the chest's top functions as a table.
Wagons' exteriors can range from fairly plain to intricately carved,
painted in bright colours, and sheathed in places with gold leaf.
History
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The Romanichal began to live in vardos around 1850. Prior to that,
they travelled in tilted carts or afoot and slept either under or in
these carts or in small tents. Originally Romanichal would travel on
foot, or with light, horse-drawn carts, typical of other Romani groups
or would build "bender" tents; so called because they were made from
supple branches which they bent inwards to support a waterproof
covering. The heyday of the Romani caravan was the latter part of the
19th century.
Initially using cheap or castoff horses to draw their chimneyed living
wagons, the Romanichal gradually created their own breed of horse.
(See Gypsy horse)
Wagons were first used as a form of living accommodation (as opposed
to carrying people or goods) in France in 1810 by non-Romani circus
troupes. Large transport wagons combined storage space and living
space into one vehicle, and were pulled by teams of horses. By the
19th century wagons became smaller, reducing the number of horses
required, and around the mid-to-late-19th century (1840-1870),
Romanichal in Britain started using wagons that incorporated living
spaces on the inside, and added their own characteristic style of
decoration. In 'The Old Curiosity Shop' (ch. xxvii), Charles Dickens
described Mrs. Jarley's well-appointed van:
These smaller wagons were called "vardo" in the Romani language
(originating from the Ossetic word 'vurdon') for cart.
Burton wagon
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Popular with Romani, as well as Showmen families and circus people,
the Burton wagon is the oldest example of a wagon used as home in
Britain. Originally undecorated, the Burton wagon evolved into an
elaborate Romani vardo, but due to its smaller wheels it was not
suited for off-road use.
Reading wagon
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Romanichal Reading vardo, early 20th century
The Reading or 'kite wagon' is so named due to its straight sides that
slope outwards towards the eaves, high arched wheels, and relative
light weight; there is no other vardo that epitomises the golden age
of Romani horse travel. It dates from 1870 and is synonymous with the
original builder Dunton and Sons of Reading from where the vardo takes
its name. The wagon was highly prized by the Romani for its aesthetic
design, beauty and practicality to cross fords, pull off-road and over
rough ground, something smaller-wheeled wagons like the Burton were
unable to do. The Reading wagon is 10 feet long, with a porch on the
front and back. The rear wheels were 18 inches larger than the ones on
the front. At the start of the 20th century the design incorporated
raised skylights.
On either side of the bed space, quarter-inch thick bevelled mirrors
were common, and were lavishly decorated. Cupboards and locker seats
were built in to prevent movement whilst travelling. Side and back
windows were decorated and shuttered, and the body of the vardo itself
would have originally been made from beaded tongue-and-groove
matchboard, painted red picked out in yellow and green. As with other
vardo, the extent of the elaborate decoration reflected the wealth of
the family, boasting carved lion heads and gargoyles; these would have
been painted gold or extensively decorated with gold leaf. Today,
surviving Reading wagons are prized exhibits in museums or private
collections. A fine one is in Reading Museum's Riverside Museum at
Blake's Lock.
Brush wagon
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The Brush or 'fen wagon' as it was also known, consists of a standard
Romani vardo, with straight sides and the wheels located outside the
body. The Brush was similar in construction to the Reading vardo, but
unlike other styles, the brush wagon had two distinct features: a
half-door with glazed shutters, located at the back of the vardo, with
a set of steps, both set around the opposite way from other wagons
and lacked the mollycroft (skylight) on the roof. The exterior is
equipped with racks and cases fitted on the outside frame and chase of
the wagon allowing the owner to carry trade items like brushes,
brooms, wicker chairs, and baskets. Additionally, three light iron
rails ran around the entire roof, used for stowing bulkier goods, and
sometimes trade-name boards. The wagons were elaborately and
colourfully painted.
Ledge wagon
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The characteristic design of the ledge or 'cottage shaped' wagon
incorporated a more robust frame and living area that extended over
the large rear wheels of the wagon. Brass brackets supported the frame
of the wagon and solid arched roof usually 12 feet high, extended over
the length of the wagon to form porches at either end and panelled
with tongue in groove boards. The porch roof was further supported by
iron brackets, and the walls were highly decorated with ornate
scrollwork and carvings across the length of the wagon.
Bow top
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Based on the design of the Ledge wagon, the Bow Top is significantly
lighter, and less likely to turn over in a strong wind. The design
incorporated a lightweight canvas top, supported by a wooden frame: a
design reminiscent of the older “bender tents” used by the Romanichal.
Both back and front walls of the wagon were decorated in scrollwork
and tongue and groove and the wagon was painted green to be less
noticeable in woodland. The inside of the Bow Top also contained the
same high scrollwork or Chenille fabric, with a stove, table, and
double bed.
The bow-top is commonly thought of as being covered in teal-coloured
canvas. This is said to now be a tradition which began before World
War II when cotton duck was cheap and plentiful.
Open lot
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Almost identical in size and construction of the bow top wagon, the
open lot or "Yorkshire Bow" featured the same design but with a
curtain instead of the door characteristic of other wagons. The
wagon's entrance was covered by a curtain for privacy.
Decoration and painting
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Vardos were elaborately decorated, hand carved and ornately painted
with traditional Romani symbols. Examples of famous Wagon Artists
responsible for the early development of vardo art are Jim Berry, John
Pockett, Tom Stevens, Tommy Gaskin, John Pickett, and modern
contemporary decorators continuing to shape this colourful tradition
included artists such as Yorkie Greenwood and Lol Thompson.
Much of the wealth of the vardo was on display in the carvings, which
incorporated aspects of the Romani lifestyle such as horses and dogs,
as well as stock decorative designs of birds, lions, griffins,
flowers, vines, and elaborate scrollwork. Carved details were often
accented with gold, either painted or, in the most expensive wagons,
the use of between 4-15 books of gold leaf applied as decoration. Many
individual makers were identified by their particular designs.
Funeral rites
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The Romanichal funeral rite during the 'wagon time' of the 19th and
20th century included burning the wagon and belongings after the
owner's death. The custom was that nothing whatsoever would have been
sold, though some of the deceased's possessions, jewellery, china, or
money would be left to the family. The rest, including the wagon, was
destroyed.
Modern traditional use
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The Romani travellers in the 1920s proudly clung to their decorative
vardos, although the economics of their way of life was in upheaval
due to the contraction in the horse-trading industry and the changes
from their traditional crafts. In the present day, Romanichal are more
likely to live in caravans. It was estimated that by 1940 only about
1% of Romani travellers still lived in the traditional horse-drawn
vardo.
Today's Romanichal still attend horse fairs, the best known of which
is Appleby Horse Fair in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in
Cumbria, North West England. Some attendees of the fairs travel there
in the traditional manner via horse-drawn vardos. American
photographer John S. Hockensmith documented such a journey in 2004,
travelling with and photographing the Harker family's 60-mile journey
to Appleby in bow top living waggons.
Other uses
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The British writer Roald Dahl acquired a traditional vardo in the
1960s which was used as a playhouse for his children; later he used
the vardo as a writing room, in which he wrote 'Danny, the Champion of
the World'.
John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls-Royce was painted in the style of a
Romani gypsy wagon by artist Steve Weaver of private coach maker J.P.
Fallon Ltd.
See also
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* Gordon Boswell Romany Museum
* Mobile home
* Tiny house
* Vanlife
* Recreational vehicle
* Shepherd's cart
* Wagon
* Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle
External links
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* [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKY3lNRmYpE A video sample of a
Dunton Reading wagon c.1914. pt1]
* [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch4u5XNt2Vc A video sample of the
original interior of a Dunton Reading wagon c.1914. pt3]
* [
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O8LyVnz9ls A video of Nick Dowe a
traditional vardo painter and wagon restorer.]
* [
http://www.instructables.com/id/Building-a-Gypsy-Wagon/ How to
Build a Modern Gypsy Wagon]
* [
https://hartleburycastle.com/county-museum/ Gypsy wagons at the
Worcestershire County Museum]
License
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License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vardo_(Romani_wagon)
