Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/123

99 in the hill districts. This material is studded with blossoms embroidered in home-spun yarn and finished with a beautiful border which would be more than a whole week’s task to an experienced worker.

In the different districts these ornamental trimmings vary as to the patterns and combination of colours, and often as to the manner of execution; but all agree in the common source of inspiration, nature! the flowers and graceful foliage of the native soil, the opening buds and lovely blooms are full of suggestion to the embroiderer who requires no printed patterns, and while the marks of inherited tradition always are conspicuous; the designs, as before remarked, are as a rule outcome of the technical side of the work.

It is unnecessary to give further details of these artistic products of the villagers, as it is not possible to show a complete assortment of the hand-work of the country people, the limited space allotted to the Bohemian Section does not permit of showing more than a few specimens of such ornamentally termined apparel as are on view in the room of the City of Prague. There visitors will be attracted by the Bohemian coifs embroidered with gold some of them studded with garnets; such were worn by the wives of wealthy burghers all over Bohemia. The white caps of the peasants women excel in fine open work and in ornaments of knots very elaborately arranged into nice patterns, and the bordering of fine lace is also the work of Bohemian peasant women.

The head kerchiefs differ in the style of ornamentation and colour in each district, some showing embroidered corners of many coloured silks, others snow-white with open-work embroidery contrasting with those worked with tinsel and glass beads, other specimens are almost covered with close embroidery in black, exhibiting an endless va-riety of patterns; but in every case showing a perfect harmony of colour and design.

Still more characteristic and varied and even more interesting,are the embroideries from Moravia and the North Eastern part of Hungary, The Bohemians and the Slovaks of Hungary are ethnographically one nation. It would be out of place to attempt to initiate *