Council County Maramures
Țara Lăpușului, Vima Mare village, Maramures
Romania
47°29’37’’ N, 24°02’3’’ E
IE + ZADII
Dominica Stan and Stan Maria (mother and daughter) 1960-1970
Wool, cotton, hemp
Wool spinning, weaving, embroidering
40 cm length x 70 cm width, 25 length x 47 cm width
The items are part of a girl’s traditional costume. Historically the girls of the ethnographic area of Lăpuș used to wear such clothing attire as daily outfit, but with the passing of time the traditional costume is worn only on special occasions such as on holidays, weddings, etc.
The traditional costume is one of the most important manifestations of traditional culture, the result of the creative effort of a whole community and a real identity brand. The dominant note of the elements that compose the Romanian folk costume is the use of white fabrics made of natural fibres (plant and animal). Particular attention is paid to the long and difficult technological processes of producing clothing elements in the world of the traditional village, weaving a whole system of beliefs and customs in this regard. The traditional production of costumes relied on local resources such as wool, hemp, linen, and cotton.
A gallery of images of the exhibit item.
The most relevant piece of this attire and the element that establishes the genesis of the Romanian folk costume is the shirt, which synthesises the most traditional elements and, at the same time, the most numerous artistic elements of ornamentation. In traditional spirituality, the embellishments that are used to decorate the shirt are not just decorative signs, but they have a much deeper spiritual meaning and play a protective role for the person wearing the clothing item. The symbols and various shapes embroidered on traditional costumes embody the identity of the people in a mixture and contraposition of sacred and mundane, faith and pagan superstitions, creative genius and practical functions.
They reflected a way of living marked by wisdom and efficiency that relied on making the best of what one has. It narrates a tale of resilience, continuance and survival, love, faith, strong intergenerational bounds and profound communion with nature. Hence, the costume becomes more than an object holding deeper valences as places of remembrance and heritage.
The village of Vima Mare is part of the ethnographic area of the Land of Lapus. The rural legacy of the village encapsulates traditions that reiterate ancient Dacian belief mixed with Christian rhetoric that have been preserved and passed on from generation to generation since the dawn of time. Local economy was historically based on animal husbandry, horticulture and the traditional agriculture of the village was based on a circular economy mechanism similar to what we nowadays call permaculture. The great majority of the current population of the village still earns a living practising the same kind of agriculture.
The artisans are deceased, however the crafts techniques are encapsulated in living heritage and one of her descendants will attend the meeting, narrate their story and embody the legacy.
Authors: Monika Hint and Elo-Hanna Seljamaa
References:
Gabor, Valer. Monografia comunei Vima Mică Maramureș. Fundatia Culturala Gheorghe Marin Speteanu, Bucureşti, 2003.
To learn more about this initiative or artisan:
https://www.cjmaramures.ro/en/county-council