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Materials: Ecru homespun heavy linen,
black, red,
green, blue, and purple wool embroidery yarn, gold metallic thread, red
wool fringe, linen gauze bodice lining, red cotton cuff lining.
Provenance: Purchased at auction from a
New England museum's de-accession lot. Originally came into museum from
W.E. Mead family.
Label: Paper museum accession tag, "Yugoslavia
Serbia Dress 27147/3 Mead, W.E."; written ink inside
neckband, "27147/3"; printed paper tag sewn onto left breast
area, "Yugoslavia - Serbia Costume from Kossovo Plain where
the Southern Slavs were defeated by the Turks in 1389."
Condition: Excellent. Minor small
light brown stains (seem to be on the surface) on dress.
Measurements:  Sh-Sh, 15"; B,
40"; H, 48"; Dress L, 51.5"; Slv L, 22.5"; Hem C, 68".
Comments: The construction of this
traditional folk dress from the Kossovo Plain of Serbia is extremely
well done. Construction style is Dinaric, dark colored embroidery is
superbly executed, all seams finished meticulously, and linen gauze
backs the wool embroidery on the chest area. Shelia Paine in Embroidered
Textiles explains the Dinaric dress pattern of Eastern Europe as
being, "cut straight with a fold at the shoulder, slit front
placket, and straight sleeves". The embroidery on both
sleeves is a magnificent cluster of stylized flowers, carnations
encircling a rose. This dress was photographed
with a woman's 19th C. Serbian headscarf,
#2444, and a Serbian sash,
#2445;
all priced separately. Due to the constant political upheaval and fighting
during the past 100 years, traditional 19th C. Serbian clothing is
very rare, near impossible to obtain. Museum quality.
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