Belt 001

Belt 001

The belt, called "a purse", is made of thick, brown leather folded in half and sewn with dyed (red, green, yellow and white) leather straps. Fastened with three brass buckles and three sewn-on leather straps. A piece of leather is sewn on the upper edge, decoratively cut into a semicircular "frill" decorated with brass circles, under which a "wallet" for money was hidden.
The belt is decorated with an embossed geometric and floral ornament. The whole belt is divided into three fields separated by straight lines. Among the motifs visible in the individual fields there are tulips and twigs composed of a circular mark, a sun, arrows and oak leaves made of circular points and dashes, as well as straight and wavy lines.
The belt was an important part of the men's national costume. It was used not only to pull off the shirt at the waist but also to emphasize one's social position, which is why its aesthetic appearance was particularly important.

Item: Belt
Material, technique: leather, straps, brass clasps, sewing, embossing
Dimensions: width 12 cm, length 100 cm
Time of origin: early 20th century
Origin: Gniewczyna Łańcucka
Owner: Franciszek Kotula Ethnographic Museum