UNESCO has decided to inscribe the Romanian blouse on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The application was made by Romania in cooperation with the Republic of Moldova, because the cultural practice is common to both territories.
An amazing coincidence was that the decision was made in a session which started on November 30 and ended on December 1, 2022, which is the National Day of Romania.
“The art of the traditional blouse with embroidery on the shoulder (called altiță) is an essential part of Romanian and Moldovan folk dress for men and women. It juxtaposes a simple cut with rich and colourful ornamentations that are stitched using complex sewing techniques,” writes UNESCO.
The article on the UNESCO website includes a detailed description of the process of its making and of the final result, as well as photos:
„The blouses are white and made of natural fibres (flax, cotton, hemp or floss silk), and the complex stitch combines horizontal, vertical and diagonal seams that result in a specific pattern and texture. The styles and techniques vary according to the region and the wearer’s age, as well as to the skills of the women who create the blouses.”
The members of the La Blouse Roumaine community, which has promoted the Romanian blouse since 2013, greeted the moment on Instagram.
“The most beautiful gift for December 1!” they wrote. “Eternal gratitude to all our ancestors, who transmitted from one generation to the next our story about world and life inscribed on this people’s vestment of light!”
Please find below a selection of Romanian blouses from all over our country from the Facebook page of the La Blouse Roumaine community:
Photo credit: The Museum of Ethnography in Crocmaz, the Republic of Moldova (article opening – Southern-Bessarabian Romanian blouse)
