Images(2)

Hanging, Wall

Object number2018.109.4

Date1890-1910

MediumHemp; Thread

Credit LineGift of Preserve Croatian Heritage Foundation

DescriptionOff-white hemp wall hanging with red embroidered scene and text. Scene depicts a woman wearing a dress while cooking in a kitchen. Her back is turned to the oven and she is looking at a man outside the kitchen window. She is pointing her finger at him, possibly scolding him. He is wearing a jacket and hat, and is presenting a flower to her.DimensionsHeight x Width: 22.313 × 30.25 in. (56.7 × 76.8 cm)
Inscriptions"Kuharice manje zbori / da ti rucal ne zagori!"
Historical NotesThe text 'Kuharice manje zbori / da ti rucal ne zagori!" translates to "The cook speaks less so your dinner does not burn!". In Croatian, zbori ("speaks") and zagori ("burn") rhyme, and gives the saying a poetic theme. The rhyme is lost in the translation. This wall hanging is over 100 years old, and is made from hemp. Kitchen wall hangings in Croatia were embroidered with red thread, and were created for decorations for people who could not afford to buy pictures. Embroidered hangings were made for each holiday. Women would make the cloth by beating hemp until it became stringy, when it was then woven into cloth.

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