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4 items

Folk costumes from Montenegro

Number of Cases
420
National costumes from Montenegro are characterized by duality in clothing.
Alongside the traditional broadcloth garments in rural areas, from the mid-19th century onwards, under the strong influence of the lavish attire of local chieftains, clothing made of baize – čoha (fine woolen cloth) – began to play an increasingly significant role. The men's costume consisted of rich garments made of the highest quality dark blue, red or light green cloth. Red caps were made for the head, lined on the outside with black silk with gold decoration, often in the form of a cross with four glasses (Serbian national symbol). The mentioned ornaments were introduced during the time of the bishop and head of Montenegro, Petar II Petrović Njegoš (1813–1851).

The women's attire consisted of a black veil and a blouse made of fine silk fabric, worn beneath a long silk skirt. Over the blouse, a short dolaktica with small sleeves was worn, along with jaketa (an upper garment) featuring long sleeves. Another part of the ensemble was a light green koret made of baize – an open, long, sleeveless vest.

The costume was enriched by a silver belt - ćemer, composed of several silver plates decorated with semi-precious stones.

The collection includes 420 items.

The curator in charge of the collection is Jelena Tucaković, curator: jelena.tucakovic@etnografskimuzej.rs
Women's shirt oblaja
Inv. No. 25952
Women's dress džublet
Inv. No. 8422
Men’s dušanka – Embroidered shirt
Inv. No. 11764
Women’s koret – waistcoat
Inv. No. 25262
Women's shirt
Inv. No. 44059
Women’s dolaktnica – short-sleeved blouse
Inv. No. 44060
Čakšire – pants
Inv. No. 17416
Jelek with buckles – Waistcoat
Inv. No. 17421
Jelek – jeljak
Inv. No. 12234
Belt – ćemer
Inv. No. 8609
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Women's shirt oblaja

Inv. No. 25952
The shirt oblaja is one of the oldest museum artifacts. This type of shirt was part of the formal women's attire until the mid-19th century. It was worn in Montenegro, around Podgorica and in Lijeva Rijeka, in Vasoevici (Eastern Montenegro), and is one of the most beautiful garments of the old traditional dress. The exhibited shirt dates back to the 18th century.

Lijeva Rijeka, Central Montenegro
18th century.

Women's dress džublet

Inv. No. 8422
The džublet is a bell-shaped dress with a unique construction. It is built horizontally, at a right angle to the height of the body. Until the 1970s, in the areas on the border of Montenegro and Albania, inhabited by the Hoti and Kuči tribes, who preserved the Albanian language and Catholicism, this dress was used for everyday wear.

Tuzi, vicinity of Podgorica, Central Montenegro
20th century.

Men’s dušanka – Embroidered shirt

Inv. No. 11764
A richly decorated upper garment of men's formal attire. The name dušanka for this garment is derived in memory of the clothing and decoration from the court of Emperor Dušan (the last Serbian king from the Nemanjić dynasty, reigning from 1331 to 1346).

Montenegro
Late 19th and early 20th century.

Women’s koret – waistcoat

Inv. No. 25262
An upper female garment – a vest. It is made of light green cloth, sleeveless, and open at the front along its entire length. It is part of formal attire. The exhibited item was purchased in 1907 in Podgorica for Vasa Delević (1889–1966), for one of the female members of his household.

Montenegro
Late 19th and early 20th century.

Women's shirt

Inv. No. 44059
A part of the formal Montenegrin women's attire. It is made of thin white silk fabric with thicker longitudinal stripes. In Montenegro, women from the Mrčarić family were known for making silk fabric for these formal shirts.

Montenegro
Late 19th century.

Women’s dolaktnica – short-sleeved blouse

Inv. No. 44060
A short upper garment of the young female formal attire, made of red velvet. The exhibited dolaktica was made by the tailor Mišolić from Podgorica.

Montenegro
1928

Čakšire – pants

Inv. No. 17416
Čakšire are a type of trousers made of fine dark blue woolen fabric, reaching just below the knees. The legs are decorated with four rows of dark cherry-colored silk braiding all the way to the cuffs. The exhibited čakšire are part of the formal urban attire.

Risan, Bay of Kotor, Montenegrin Coast
Mid-19th century.

Jelek with buckles – Waistcoat

Inv. No. 17421
A type of vest made from red woolen cloth – svita. It was worn over a shirt and is part of the formal attire.

Risan, Bay of Kotor, Montenegrin Coast
Mid-19th century.

Jelek – jeljak

Inv. No. 12234
A type of vest made from white wool, sleeveless, open along the entire length with narrow front flaps. It was worn by young Albanian Catholic brides on their wedding day. The vest and dress were passed down as heirlooms. The tradition was for the mother to gift them for the wedding. If the bride did not have these garments, they were borrowed for the occasion. They were worn mainly until the beginning of World War II and were common in villages between Bar and Ulcinj.

Livar, Bar, southern Montenegrin Coast
20th century.

Belt – ćemer

Inv. No. 8609
The belt is made of silver and consists of five plates. The front side of the chest plate is decorated with very fine filigree work.

Nikšić, Montenegro
First half of the 20th century.
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