Hand embroidered Romanian blouse of Carashovans from Banat

This refined traditional Romanian blouse comes from the Banat region of Romania, cherished by a small ethnic group of Carașovani. The intricate hand embroidery that adorns this blouse is unparalleled in its beauty – each stitch meticulously crafted with incredible delicacy. An embroiderer is believed to have dedicated 6 to 12 months to complete such a masterpiece.

This Romanian blouse is available in size S-M but it is essential to check the sizes:

Around the chest: 118 cm or 46.45 inches

Blouse Length: 58 cm or 22.8 inches

Sleeve length (from the base of the neck to the lower hem of the ruffle): 70 cm or 27.5 inches. The sleeves of these traditional blouses are intentionally designed to be extra long and are later enhanced with elastic to form the charming ruffle.

This remarkable piece was handcrafted sometime between 1920 and 1944.

Condition: good, with signs of wear. No visible stain, no tear.

Rest assured that the blouse has been washed, cleaned with care and is ready to be treasured once more. For maintenance, simply wash the dress in cold water and mild detergent to keep it in good condition for decades to come.

Adorn yourself with this treasure and embrace the timeless elegance and cultural significance it carries.

code BARBARA

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The Carashovans arrived in Banat almost 800 years ago and have their roots in Croatia and Serbian Bosnia. The archaic Croatian language and old customs are still spoken and preserved here – the area being intensively studied by members of the Zagreb Academy. In Caraș Severin county, the largest Croatian community in the diaspora lives. They settled in 7 villages around Reșita in the Banat Mountains, in the Caraş Gorges. On the roads between Reşita, Anina and Grădinari, live the Caraşoveni, a Slavic population of the Roman Catholic religion, one of the most unusual ethnic groups in Romania. They are Croats from the Banatul Montan settled here before the year 1300. They have preserved their religion and cultural identity and live in compact communities.

Their traditional costume is very similar to that of Romanians in the region. Only the women's dress differs by the presence of the crown on the head of married women and by the short black woolen skirt tightly wrapped around the body. The women have a long dress up to the ankles, embroidered on the chest and sleeves. Over it they have a black skirt woven from wool with silver threads, from the waist down. On the head, the married ones have an embroidered hat, covered with a headscarf, which gives the impression of hiding two horns. Instead, the girls have bare heads, weaving flowers and colorful ribbons into their hair. On the chest, rich women wore silver and gold coins. They walked barefoot or in opinci with white stockings, and on holidays with boots. In winter they had a lamb coat decorated with a woolen sleeve.