SOFIA, BULGARIA.- The National History Museum in Bulgaria presents the exhibit “Dry gold, pure silver” (a folk song) through December 31st, 2006 The exhibition consists of 364 objects from 15th to the end of 19th century. They are selected from the museum collections: (15th – 17th century), “Adornments”, “Fabrics”. Only one exhibit is included from the Museum of history in Kotel, a breast adornment “kuna”, an icon. Most of them are shown for the first time. Several treasures from the late medieval period are displayed in the first part of the exhibition. The treasure from Nikopol (15th century) occupies a special place among them. The techniques and the making of those adornments are closer to the late medieval period in Bulgaria. Two other treasures from late 16th and beginning of 17th century impress with the complicated methods of workmanship – filigree and granulated. They follow the Bulgarian medieval traditions in the ornament making although some elements from the oriental art start to appear.

The second part of the exposition presents the adornments according to their use: decorations for the head (tepelatzi), hear pins, ornaments for the forehead, ornaments under the chin, earrings, over the ear ornaments as well as decorations for the body (necklaces, belts, belt buckles, bracelets and rings). Oriental elements are more frequently found in the adornments from late 18th and the entire 19th century. They are introduced gradually together with the arabesque, the tulip and the decorative baroque elements from Western Europe. The Christian identity of the woman is pronounced by the presence of images of Christian saints, symbols and subjects depicted on the adornments. They are made out of gold, silver and copper as the partial gild, enamel, colored glass, semi precious stones and mother-of-pearl are the preferred color impressions. The various adornments are shown on a background of silk covers and woolen carpets skillfully waved by the Bulgarian woman. Ten carpets are shown from late 19th to the beginning of 20th century. Five of them are typical carpets from Kotel with the exact date of making woven on them. The earliest is from 1865 and then the years 1868, 1869, 1904 follow as the latest is from 1915. The carpet from Pirot, a “batal” type impresses with its measures, the largest according to the trade marks of 19th century – 480 cm. /540 cm, as well as the carpet of Tzaribrod with the Bulgarian flag colors – white, green and red woven in a stripe around a central medallion.