Rare Romanian blouse from Transylvania with black and white embroidery

Old Romanian handmade blouse on azure blue canvas, the color of clear summer skies. These bluish Romanian folk  blouses are very rare and can be found in Transylvania, in certain villages of Cluj and Salaj counties. Villagers dye the fabric themselves in a bluish hue to distinguish their traditional costume from those of neighboring villages. The compact hand embroidery is arranged in vertical rivers on the chest and sleeves. The sleeves end with a ruffled flounce obtained by gathering the cuffs with a string.

The blouse originates from Transylvania, Cluj county. It is approximately 50-60 years old and in very good condition, without any defects, only showing normal signs of wear. The embroidery is richly executed with black cotton and white silk threads. Vertical rivers of handcrafted lace adorn the chest and sleeves as well.

The fabric is a blend of linen and cotton for the chest and sleeves, and pure cotton for the back. It was common to embroider the patterned parts of a blouse on a different, more expensive fabric, usually handwoven, than the non-embroidered parts (such as the back) in this case.

It is sized L-XL, with the following dimensions:

Blouse length: 61 cm (24 inches)

Sleeve length: 70 cm (27.55 inches), measured from the neck

Chest circumference: 160 cm (63 inches)

Shoulder to underarm: 27 cm (10.6 inches)

This is a wonderful traditional Romanian blouse that can be worn as part of the Romanian traditional costume or paired with trousers as an integrated element of contemporary attire.