Romanian blouse, II quarter 20th century

Around the world, one of the key items common to all folkloric costumes is the shirt. La blouse roumaine, the Romanian blouse, the title of a picture painted Henri Matisse in 1940, is the garment most strongly associated with Romanian folkloric costume.  Reaching into antiquity, some of the basic designs appear on the bas-relief figures enacting Trajan’s victory in the Dacian Wars on Trajan’s Column in Rome: collarless blouses with gathered necklines and wrap-around skirts worn by the women, and long, belted shirts worn by the men. This blouse with the typical pleated cut is the archetype of a romanian blouse. The sleeves nearly always follow a three-part decorative pattern: the altiţă, a rectangular band embroidered across the upper part of the shoulder which is the most important piece of embroidery, followed by the Încreţ (gathering, puckering), a single horizontal inset band, and the râuri, diagonal rows of embroidery that run from under the shoulder and armpit down towards the cuffs. In literature it is praised and referred to as the embodiment of beauty.

This rich embroidered blouse is made of hand-woven linen completely sewed and embroidered by hand. It requires experience to embroider these elaborate patterns completely by hand with fine cross stitch on handwoven linen.

II quarter 20th century , in perfect condition

Hand-woven and embroidered, handwoven linen

Length: 60 cm Width: 62 cm

size: M

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