Wedding dress

NameEnsemble

Artist Artist Not Recorded

Dateca. 1900

Place madeMariovo, North Macedonia, Balkan Peninsula/Southeast Europe, Europe

MediumCotton, wool, metal, metallic thread, glass beads

Credit LineThe Ronald Wixman/Stephen Glaser Collection, Gift of Bernard W. Ziobro

Object numberV.2018.20.1-17

ProvenanceThe Macedonian Arts Council, from 2007-2010, presented as a gift to the Museum of International Folk Art 25 ensembles of multiple pieces. While a small number of the pieces were purchased, the majority of the costumes were donated to the Arts Council by collectors based in the United States and Macedonia

DescriptionThe wedding ensemble from Mariovo, the region encompassing many villages at high elevation in the Nidzhe and Selechki Mountains, is the heaviest in all Macedonia. The only colors used were shades of red, black, yellow, and white. The people living there were very isolated and self-sufficient; their customs and traditions, including dress and religious practices, took a different path from that of other Bryak people lower down the mountains. The amount and placement of fringe on the outer garments, the apron, and the detached sleevelets, rakavchinya vezeni, all worn by the bride, are unique. Garments and jewelry on this mannequin include a dickey, chemise, apron, two belts, sleevelets, sleeveless cotton coat, sagiya, sleeveless wool coat, gornenik, two belt buckles, two strings of coin jewelry on the apron, one string of coin jewelry at the neck, two disks attached to the front of the wool coat, two head scarves with pompoms, tulben, one scarf tucked into the apron, and a head cloth, ubrus. On the wedding day, the ubrus was pulled down to cover the bride's eyes and her head was crowned with a large wreath of flowers and greenery (Young Brides, Old Treasures: Macedonian Embroidered Dress, edited by Bobbie Sumberg, 2011).

Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.27, Chemise, wedding: Kosula, ca. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.31, Apron: Pregac, ca. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.36, Headscarf: Tulben, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.38V, Belt and buckle: kolan so pafti, ca. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.39, Neck piece: Gjerdan, ca. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.40, Neck piece: Kopec, ca. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.41, Apron piece: Resme, ca. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2008.7.65V, Medallions: Caprazi with Pojas, ca. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2009.15.53v, Buckles: Pafti, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.118, Overcoat: Goraenik, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.119, Overcoat: Sagiya, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.122, Head Scarf: Obrus, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.123V, Sleevelets: Rakavchinja vezeni, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.124, Sash: Pojas, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.126, Head Scarf: Tulben, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.144, Dickie: Grlo, c. 1900
Parts of Ensemble: A.2010.6.86V, Belt buckle: Kubele Pafta, c. 1900