One of the main goals of a dowry is to serve as a form of protection for women at the very real possibility of mistreatment by her husband or his family. (The Children's Museum of Indianapolis/ CC BY SA 3.0 ) Preparing for the Future When parents give a dowry, they hope to ensure their daughter’s economic security while securing the best possible son-in-law for themselves.Ī Papuan feathered shell and basketry bride price. This contrasts with a dowry, which concentrates property and is found among property-owning classes or commercial or landed pastoral peoples. The custom of bride price is more common in societies where property is limited because it circulates both property and women.

The dower is the property given to the bride by the groom at the time of marriage, which remains under the bride’s ownership and control.ĭower agreement (Proikosymfono) before wedding at Kastoria, Greece, (1905). But the dowry is given by the bride’s family to the groom or his family. The bride price (bride service) is a payment by the groom or his family to the bride’s parents. Other old traditions related to the dowry are bride price and dower, but these customs should not be confused with a dowry. ( Public Domain ) Bride Price is Not Dowry Dowries are not just about money, household items such as linens and furniture, and even animals, may be included too.Ī reproduction of the painting ‘Choosing a Dowry’ (1910) by Nikolay Bekryashev, published in the magazine Niva in 1911. What is a Dowry?Ī dowry is meant to be a type of financial security in widowhood or against a neglectful husband, and can also ensure economic independence for children.

Dowries establish a type of conjugal fund, the nature of which may vary widely. It is a tradition in which emotion does not play a role in decision making. A dowry is an ancient custom that requires the transfer of parental property to a daughter at her marriage, rather than at her father’s death.

The Dowry by Maggie Gould