waistcoat
- Museum number
- Eu1997,04.130
- Description
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A woman's waistcoat, an 'elek'; straight in the body, hip-length. Made from natural cream tabby woven cotton cloth; machine stitched. Two rectangular pieces of dark red wool woven cloth stitched to either side of centre front opening, small rounded collar. Two vertical panels near edge decorated with couched plied, plaited and looped gold-coloured metal-wrapped thread. A scrolling foliate panel at outer edge. Twenty pairs (one loose) of gold- and silver-coloured metal filigree buttons stitched to each edge. Two strips of grey cotton tabby cloth with fine yellow stripe stitched to outer side of applied red wool cloth. Some staining.
- Production date
- 1900-1920 (donor information)
- Dimensions
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Length: 56 centimetres
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Width: 35 centimetres (across shoulders)
- Curator's comments
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Text from Eth Doc 1836, no. 85d: Made by men tailors from home produced cloth 'domačno platno' made by the women from purchased raw cotton. The front panels, 'poli', are faced with dark cherry felt, which also provides a lining strip at the rear of the front edge, and a facing for the narrow collar, 'koril', which has an interior edging of red braid. The collar is edged with a strip of gold braid with an extra strip from the shoulder and four strips down the front facings, the interior of which have a strip of gold thread embroidery. There is a row of twenty gold and silver filigree buttons on either side of the front opening, made by silversmiths. The panels are framed with purchased black striped cloth which also lines the collar. This garment is worn over the smock [Eu1997,04.128]. The Mijaks are of Albanian origin, but variations of the costume as a whole are found outside the tribal area. A matriarchal society.
Religion: Macedonian Orthodox.
For other parts of this attire see: 127: jacket; 128: shirt; 129: bridal sleeves; 131: coat; 132: upper sash; [135: socks;] 136: silver buckle; 137: head decoration; 138: coin chain.
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For a detailed description of how and the order in which this item of clothing was worn as part of a whole costume, see Eu1997,04.131
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2011 21 Jan-11 Sep, London, British Museum, Room 2, Traditional Jewellery and Dress from the Balkans
- Acquisition date
- 1997
- Acquisition notes
- Obtained for the donor in the 1960s by Živko Firfov of the Folklore Institute in Skopje.
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- Eu1997,04.130