EMBROIDERY AND WEAVING

Known for their skill in embroidery and weaving, Bosnian and Herzegovinian women have created, and continue to create, exceptional examples of embroidered and woven items that hold practical value in households. Renowned for their extraordinary creativity in selecting motifs, which often carry symbolic messages, as well as for their expertise in embroidery and weaving techniques, these women have produced items that not only serve functional purposes but also possess artistic value.

Handkerchiefs, towels, headscarves, shawls, traditional bags, and curtains are part of the ethnological collection of the Bosniak Institute – Adil Zulfikarpašić Foundation. Gold embroidery, full embroidery, “number” embroidery, and weaving techniques such as “pirlit”, “uzvod” and others are just some of the techniques visible in this collection.

Vegetal motifs are the most common in embroidery and weaving, along with geometric patterns. Less common but still present are zoomorphic motifs, mostly depicting peacocks, birds, serpents, dragons, and very rarely fish. One of the most cherished yet rare motifs is the mosque. Probably the most valued form of embroidery is goldwork. This type of decoration involves embellishing textiles with gold, gilded, or silver threads on various fabrics. The most frequently used techniques included “provlak”, “bejberek”, and “razvaruša”. The motifs used were varied, with almost all items being made from handwoven cotton fabric, known as “beza”, woven on narrow looms.

The formation of this ethnological collection is largely the result of years of systematic purchasing and collecting by Adil and Tanja Zulfikarpašić, the founders of the Bosniak Institute – Adil Zulfikarpašić Foundation. Part of the collection was formed through donations from individuals who recognized the importance of the institution that promotes the cultural values of the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In this way, the institution has housed items of material culture, archival documents, a library, and other significant artifacts, through which elements that make up the cultural identity of people who have lived in this region for centuries can be identified and established.