Paper short abstract:

In this paper I will present my insights regarding contemporary golden embroidery crafts in Slavonia (Eastern Croatia) used in bottles and imitation jewelry decorating. I will explore the connection between this craft and rules of traditional costumes, applying affect theory on this phenomenon.

Paper long abstract:

Golden embroidery is the most valued traditional textile technique in Slavonia (Eastern Croatia). It decorates the richest traditional costumes in that area, made by women till the middle of 20th century. Since then, the making of golden embroidery, notably reduced. In the nineties, along with revitalization of folklore groups and different societies for heritage preservation, there are many golden embroidery interpretations with considerable shift from traditional patterns. People started making individual motives and applying them to different objects: glass bottles or jewelry imitations (necklaces, bracelets, medallions...). While glass bottles became a perfect gift, jewelry became symbol of Croatian Šokac identity. Mass production of these items led to asking is this craft heritage or trivial hobby, desirable heritage preservation practice or complete shift to modern craft interpretation of traditional technique. In my paper, I will follow few individuals and societies who are engaged in heritage preserving practices, theirs motivations for making these objects and practices with them. As opposed to them, I will bring experience and practices of a young man who begun the golden embroidery making motivated by, by his own words, bad golden embroidery makings and hyper-production of this technique on bottles and jewelry. I will try to reveal the unwritten rules system and to answer who is setting the rules and why is ti seemingly easier to brake those rules in the domain of bottles and jewelry than in the domain of traditional costumes.