The blouse from Oltenia, an element of heritage that carries within itself the history of the place and the nation, often forgotten through dowry boxes or attics, continues to remain both a sign of representation in the world, as well as a clothing landmark and collection item, write Agerpres.
In the southern County of Dolj, important centers of the folk costume are in Dabuleni, where there was a fusion of techniques with those from the Romanati, Carna, Bistret, Poiana Mare, Almaj-Isalnita, Carpen, Grecesti-Gogosu areas, there being differences among the areas of the county.
„The complexity and symbols discovered in the clothes here speak of the ancient civilization of the inhabitants of the historical province of Oltenia. My collection expands a little, because it is not only folk costumes, for women and men, but also contains other ethnographic objects, such as stone or wooden seals, dowry chests, old laps, spinning forks, ceramic objects, irons, woven carpets, woven bedding, wall carpets, bedspreads, those woven towels that were also placed on icons or decorated the rooms in various ways. The folk costumes are from the south-west area of Dolj, because I grew up in the Danube Valley, the Bailestilor Plain, the Rast Plain, but I am interested in revealing the types and techniques of creating the folk costume, the symbols used to show the beauty and the importance of the spirituality of the area,” said folk music performer Alexandru Lilea for AGERPRES.
„I am impressed by the symbolism of the geometric motifs, which are the oldest motifs, after which the floral motifs appeared. We have the motif of the rhombus, the infinity column, the ram’s horns, the cross motif, symbols of the various deities of water, earth, fertility. Right in the village of Rast I liked that I discovered those skirts wrinkled at the waist and split in front, which I also found recorded at the Village Museum in Bucharest, which are very wrinkled and have geometric motifs, especially the rhombus, which symbolizes the connection between heaven and earth, balance, strength, the rhombus being a primordial, very powerful symbol and which, combined with skill, gave a special beauty and power to those who wore that folk costume,” says Alexandru Lilea, a graduate of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Craiova, currently a master’s student at Cultural Studies, Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology and Folklore, within the Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest, and student at the Department of Arts, Music section, at the Faculty of Letters of the University of Craiova.
Even if a benchmark for the fineness of the cloth, the refinement of the stitching and the pride of wearing it, in the rural areas the Oltenia blouse is no longer worn, but there are some initiatives to encourage sewing, such as the Oltenia Coase Ie group, from which I am part of ie creators from Oltenia, who also promote their creations on social networks.
Claudia Mechenie, for example, started sewing in 2014, at a time when she was going through a stressful period and felt the need for a relaxing activity, but which, in the meantime, became an „addiction”.
She admits that, when she starts a new career, that model must convey something to her.
„I think it’s about our genetic baggage and I’ll explain why: I started with it, I chose my model, the colours and after I finished it, about 6 months later, I searched in my maternal grandmother’s dowry chest and found one that was roughly the same pattern and colour and then I realized that’s why some patterns appeal to us and others don’t. I think our ancestors are talking to us. Another time I visited a private collection on display at the Marin Sorescu National Theater and I fell in love with it and it took me 4 years until I found the right canvas, that’s why when I’m asked where I get my models I say that they have to send me something, because otherwise I can’t sew that. It may seem strange, but that’s how I feel. Since my grandmothers are no longer with me, I tried to find other old women who sewed, but unfortunately I couldn’t find any,” explained the creator of the Romanian blouses, the ii.
