Ethnological Treasures - Embroidery

The very first laces originate from the Renaissance period, one of the most creative periods in literature and arts. The fundamental techniques are sewing with a needle (lace on needle which appeared in the wider area of the Mediterranean) and interlacing threads by means of a mallet (lace on mallets had expanded in Belgium).

And women in Bosnia and Herzegovina have decorated their clothes and other handicrafts in the past with various lace works. Beautiful lacework has been seen in courts of wealthy aristocracy, and the first ever mentioned famous embroiderer was Queen Katarina Kosača Kotromanić. The best lace makers patiently created lace for decorating clothes hems, collars, church-altars, linen and similar. One of those lace making techniques is embroidering, making lace by means of a wooden frame and special needles. In Bosnia and Herzegovina making this kind of embroidered lace is specific for a couple of villages in the Orašje municipality in Bosanska Posavina, and these skills of lacing was past on from generation to generation. Because of this, it has a special meaning because its beauty testifies of our rich cultural tradition.

Making such lace in Bosnia and Herzegovina today is being organizationally taught in the Woman's Association from the Cultural artistic Society (KUD) from Oštra Luka and Boka. Valuable lace is kept safe in the Ethnological collection in the convent - spiritual center „Karmel st. Ilija“ on Buško Lake (the motif for the stamp was taken from the lace of the fundus collection), who have been remarkably working on preserving and promoting traditional culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina.(Željka Šaravanja)