Romanian artist (Bukovina), Woman’s Blouse, c. 1970, glass beads, sequins, and thread on cotton; Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art, 2025.2.30
Entry Level Changing Exhibitions Gallery March 15–November 15, 2026
About the Exhibition
Romanian Embroidery, exhibited in recognition of the centennial of Queen Marie’s dedication of the museum (1926–2026), includes embroidered Romanian blouses, chemises, and other items.
Romanian artist (Bukovina), Woman’s Blouse, c. 1970, glass beads and thread on cotton; Collection of Maryhill Museum of Art, 2025.2.55
About Romanian Folk Clothing
Romanian folk dress historically varied from region to region, from village to village, and with the unique expressions of individual artists. Prior to the 1940s, three-quarters of Romania’s citizens lived in agrarian environments, and rural villages were considered the “cradle of folk art and culture.” Over time, traditional folk clothing forms remained constant, but it was adorned with a wide array of embroidered embellishments that have evolved over time through a variety of influences.
Rural women traditionally made a family’s clothing. Their tasks included spinning, weaving, sewing, and embroidery using hemp, cotton, flax, wool, and rough silk. The foundation of feminine attire is a white chemise (cămaşă). This can be either a one-piece garment (long-sleeved blouse and underskirt) or two separate pieces—a blouse (ie) and an underskirt (poală). The universally white chemise serves as a background onto which embroidered designs are worked in colored wool, silk, or cotton thread, typically in geometric motifs. Recent creations also display stylized floral patterns, some of which are worked in beads. A skirt (fotă) or apron (catrinţă) is generally worn over the chemise and tied at the waist with a narrow fabric belt (brâu). Skirts and aprons usually show woven geometric patterns and the amount of overall ornamentation is dictated by how the costume is worn and the affluence of the wearer. Women wear colored scarves, felt hats, or straw hats on their heads, and long scarves and veils are also common, especially on festive occasions.
The Legacy of Romanian Textiles at Maryhill Museum of Art
In 1926, Queen Marie of Romania visited her good friend Sam Hill to dedicate the yet unfinished Maryhill Museum of Art building. The same year Queen Marie gave one of the initial gifts to the museum’s fledgling collection, a donation that included personal items, Romanian folk pottery, Russian icons, and diverse textiles—objects she described as “simple gifts, made by simple hands; embroideries and handiwork in wood and metals.”
Queen Marie’s interest in traditional Romanian garments was kindled in 1893, soon after with her marriage to Prince Ferdinand (later King Ferdinand I) of Romania. It was then that she began wearing peasant-inspired clothing from Romania’s southern provinces. This fashion choice was the continuation of a trend that began with her predecessor, Elisabeth, Queen of Romania. During her reign as queen, Elisabeth founded a school dedicated to the production of rural Romanian crafts. She also began wearing ethnic attire from some of Romania’s more affluent southern villages. Woman at court eventually adopted similar garb, as did Crown Princess Marie and many in her circle. The finely embroidered garments worn at court and by upper-class Romanians were influenced by vernacular aesthetics and earlier Byzantine textiles. As the style evolved, Romanian folk garments became visible symbols of national identity and important economic exports—especially after World War I.