Of daydreams and memories: There are so many great museums in Romania

I do love these two- perhaps little ever changes?

They feel so modern and fresh and yet have been sitting around since 5000 to 4600 BC

Romania is a land rich in museums, now that might lead you to surmise traditional culture is becoming all dusty and tucked away in them.

Not happening in Romania, the textile culture is vibrant and growing based on traditional pieces.

There are various museum, some have huge collections of built- structures houses and barns and such displayed like a village.

Apparently they are traditional houses relocated to the museum and rebuilt by hands local to their home area.

You could just imagine the owners have just stepped out for the day.

Many are gorgeous and quaint but I am sure a challenge to live in, in the modern world. Looked after in a museum the building survives even if it doesn't still burn a home fire.

These house are full of the furniture and textiles that were local to their areas.

Romania has long snowy winters, time spent inside lead to the development of a rich material culture. Delicious textiles, intricately painted surfaces and fine wood work.

Other museums have great collections of local costumes. Displayed on models, you can't touch but you can carefully get up close enough to see the gorgeous handwork. Swoon.

My hardest task was deciding which locations we would visit.... so much to love, so little time basically.

Here are just a few highlights of many, haha

Cluj-Napoca Ethnographic Museum might just be my favourite- it was hard to tell I almost swooned from overload. You can only sigh and so "Ohhhh" so many times before you become lightheaded.

You were not allowed to touch but you could get up very close to see the details- wonderful recourse of stitch.

These are all regional variations of Traditional Costume, there was also some stunning Hungarian Written Thread work - A large part of Transylvania, now Romania was once Hungary and there are a lot of cultural traditions still here.

Metallic inserts amongst silk stitch

Angel shirt? If I had had my wits about me I could have used Google Translate to read the info sheet- Oh well, next time.

How to assemble a blouse

The detail

The Apron

and then there was more!

Samples of weaving and garments found at Barsana Monastery.

Barsana Monastery dates back to 1390, the oldest church here was built in 1711 and until recently was the tallest wooden church in the world.

And

Found second hand at a local market- I have the vendors number and she is happy to do a private showing for us.- Dangerous, I'd say :)

There has been big news since I was last in Romania

from UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site

Inscribed in 2022 (17.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The art of the traditional blouse with embroidery on the shoulder (called altiță) is an essential part of Romanian and Moldovan folk dress for men and women. It juxtaposes a simple cut with rich and colourful ornamentations that are stitched using complex sewing techniques. The blouses are white and made of natural fibres (flax, cotton, hemp or floss silk), and the complex stitch combines horizontal, vertical and diagonal seams that result in a specific pattern and texture. The styles and techniques vary according to the region and the wearer’s age, as well as to the skills of the women who create the blouses. The motifs and ornamentation are also varied: from geometric and stylised registers to organic shapes, and from sombre to vivid colours. Traditional blouses with altiță are made entirely by hand, and recent attempts to mechanize certain steps and to simplify the ornamentation and techniques constitute deviations from tradition. The craftsmanship is exclusively female and generally passed on within families, although some organizations, museums and schools organize camps and courses. Today, interest in creating these blouses is steadily increasing, with the practice viewed as a means of relaxation and of affirming one’s national identity and maintaining visible ties to the past.

A lot of effort and research would have gone into this submission over many years.

Keeping an eye on the internet as I do, I have found a lot more images and chats of stitching traditional blouses, classes to make blouses, meetings and societies celebrating the blouse than were apparent 5 years ago when I started closely researching Romania.

I like this article that describes the value of the blouse to Intangible Heritage- it was not just an article of clothing but a history passed through women's hands, it was time spent sitting in groups to stitch so much more than just a garment.

To gain a UNESCO Listing you don't have to just prove the value of the tangible or intangible item you also have to have a plan for how you will look after it.

I know in Ahmedabad to get The Old City on the register took years of meetings and workshops to work with the residents of the Old City to build pride in their old homes: education and funds in how you might improve the comfort of your home whilst retaining its valuable historical aspects.

so many levels of planning from the grassroots up to erudite documentation and applications

You need to have a community on side and VERY supportive. This is regularly inspected by the UNESCO committees to see if is being upheld and true.

How do you protect something as intangible as a blouse? the true one must be handstitched?

Either you spend a lot of time to make your own or you spend a lot of money to buy a handstitched blouse.

There would be 'clever' people who would like to make them by machine and sell at a lower price point- can you see where this might spiral out of control? It could become a nightmare to protect the integrity of the true Romanian Blouse. This article talks of some of the problems they now face.

And there was recently a wonderful exhibition - I think the name in translation is "I sew for a Cause"

The Romanian Blouse and traditions of stitch were used as a canvas to express concerns about valuing the environment and traditions. My friendly blouse teacher Anca kindly sent me these photos.