National costumes of Serbia – Kosovo and Metohija

Number of Cases

2000

Until the first decades of the 20th century, the folk costumes of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were made from almost the same type of home-made materials.

It was hemp, linen and cotton cloth, woolen cloth of white and brown colors, decorated with woven stripes and finely complex geometric ornaments. For the production of certain parts of clothing and footwear, processed and unprocessed leather was used.

The use of red wool and thread, dark and light shades, woolen cord, but also a large amount of other decorative material, as well as the stylized rich geometric ornamentation used in the decoration of clothing items, make the costumes of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija to be considered the most beautiful part of the body of Serbian costumes in the entire Balkan area in terms of beauty and expressiveness.

From the 1920s, elements of the Serbian military uniform can also be observed in the male folk costume of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija - wearing hat šajkača and breeches (military riding pants, widening from the knee to the waist) instead of the old Balkan-type čakšire.

The collection has about 2,000 items.

The curator in charge of the collection is Jelena Tucaković, curator: jelena.tucakovic@etnografskimuzej.rs

Women's shirt

Inv. No. 29046

Women's shirt

Inv. No. 29038

Women’s zubun– formal dress

Inv. No. 36286

Back apron, tail f.

Inv. No. 31871

Headscarf

Inv. No. 49203

Skirt – bošča

Inv. No. 19145

Belt – kovanik

Inv. No. 25862

Jelek – vest

Inv. No. 26330

Prevez – apron

Inv. No. 49247

Dolaktenik f. – Traditional short-sleeved shirt

Inv. No. 43429

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Women's shirt

Inv. No. 29046

The shirt is made of hemp fabric, woven in two threads. The embroidery is done with spun wool. It is slightly expanded at the sides and fastened with a loop and a button. This is part of the festive attire of Serbian women.

Peć region, western Kosovo and Metohija
1890–1900

Women's shirt

Inv. No. 29038

The shirt is made of cotton fabric woven in two threads. The embroidery is gilded with wire, cotton thread, and wool yarns in various colors, decorated with white lace and sequins.

Matica near Priština, central Kosovo and Metohija
Late 19th and early 20th century

Women’s zubun– formal dress

Inv. No. 36286

A formal women's dress without sleeves. In terms of craftsmanship, the zubun (a type of dress) is part of women's domestic handiwork, as well as the skill of rural and urban tailors. It was worn throughout the year. In terms of visual and aesthetic significance, it is one of the most representative garments in Serbian folk attire.

Kosovo and Metohija
Late 19th and early 20th century

Back apron, tail f.

Inv. No. 31871

The serenity of white women's shirts from the Kosovo Pomoravlje, which were mostly made of hemp and, less commonly, cotton fabric with a discreet geometric pattern in earth tones, is deeply disrupted and disturbed by the last apron, the tail. It is made of finely spun black wool arranged in dense rows of fringes, which are attached to a heavy hemp belt, partly woven and in the typical red and cherry wool colors.

Kosovo Pomoravlje, South of Kosovo and Metohija
20th century, first half

Headscarf

Inv. No. 49203

The headscarf is made of cotton fabric woven in two threads. It features stylized motifs embroidered with cotton rudice and golden metallic threads, with fringes also made of cotton. The scarf also has beads. It is part of the attire worn by Serbian women.

Gračanica, Kosovo and Metohija
Late 19th century

Skirt – bošča

Inv. No. 19145

A short, wide skirt that is gathered. It is woven from cotton and wool in red color. It is slit and consists of two narrow horizontal panels. The ends feature longitudinal patterns in the shape of belts.

Kosovo
19th century

Belt – kovanik

Inv. No. 25862

Појас од коже на коме је причвршћено седамнаест правоугаоних плочица од легуре месинга. Плочице су укршене крстастим шарама. На првих седам плочица, као и на копчи точкастог облика, налази се црвено стаклено камење.

Призрен, Метохија, Србија
19. век

Jelek – vest

Inv. No. 26330

Jelek, a type of waistcoat, made from brown woolen material. Similar material was used for traditional hats— šajkače. It was worn at weddings and other ceremonial occasions.

Koretište, Gnjilane, Kosovo, Serbia
First half of the 20th century

Prevez – apron

Inv. No. 49247

Prevez – the apron is an essential symbol of a married woman in the Sredač region (near Prizren). On the first morning after the wedding, young girls from the neighborhood would comb the bride's hair and place the apron over her head, signifying that she is married. Part of the attire of Serbian women.

Metohija, near Prizren, Serbia
Late 19th and early 20th century

Dolaktenik f. – Traditional short-sleeved shirt

Inv. No. 43429

In combination with the shirt and aprons, which are exceptionally important elements of the traditional attire in the Kosovo Pomoravlje region, the dolaktenik stands out. It is an open, woolen upper garment with short sleeves, most often with a square and slightly rounded front cut. It is decorated with rich appliqués of red and yellow cloth, with circular motifs made from black wool.

Peć, Metohija, Serbia
20th century