Couple of thoughts, Helen. First, what an odd thing (imho) to put on a NATO web site! Secondly--yes, they are beautiful--very intricate--though I can't tell what makes some "men's" and some "women's". I thought at first that the pattern of the third one in the first column of women`s mittens from the Zemgale region
was the same as the first one in the men`s mittens from the Latgale region, but upon closer inspection, realized they are not.
Would that we could do the same for people, of any culture that is different from what we're familiar with.