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The Centre of the Museum of
Ethnography and Folk Art |
The Museum
of Ethnography and Folk Art, homed by Toldalagy Palace
(a historical monument dated back in the 18 th century)
and being located on 11 Trandafirilor Square, is an institution
which carries on a whole cultural and instructive process
of preservation, research and instructive process of preservation,
research and capitalization of traditional peasant creation
from Mureș County. |
Mureș
County is a place with an inherent mixed culture, a consequence
of the complex system of relations, interferences and
reciprocal influences found here between the Romanians,
the Hungarians and the Germans after a long living together.
The collections have the
following themes: the professions, the trades, the textile
fabrics, the folk costumes, the ceramics, the furniture,
the icon painted on wood and on glass.
The visitors may come into
contact with a traditional village from Mureș county by
admiring the basic exhibition. Then, a connection is made
between them and those missing aspects of older times
in a village placed in this area.
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"The bed placed in the corner
of the Room",
from the peasant interior of Târnave area |
"The Romanian and the Hungarian
Costumes for Women" from the Mureș Valley |
"Țurca" (a traditional
mask and dance, used and performed by the waits), from the Mureș
Valley |
"A carol concert" |
"Gifts for the waits" |
The cultural
gatherings held in the museum and in those evenings about Christmas
remind the participants of ancient customs about the winter
solstice, custom which were bringing the village to life.
This is a way to trying to restore the peace felt by the peasant
at that time of the year. The children who are singing carols
now are rewarded with apples, nuts and small nock-shaped loafs
of bread.
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The children and the group's of
lads carols are accompanied by the "turca" and the
"she-goat", (the traditional dances performed about
Christmas), animating thus the traditional formula of a Christmas
custom: the singing of carols.
"Turca", an animal mask,
and dating back to pre-Christian origins, is very much adorned
in the Superior Valley of Mureș area: the head and the covering
on the back (called "velniță") become heavy under
the numerous tassel made of wool, little bells, spikes of copper
taken off the lad's money belt, circular pieces of tinder beautifully
and skillfully scratched with geometrical motives.
At the end of this dance these
"solar discs" use to be taken of the mask and nailed
on the master beam of the house where the dance had been performed,
for prosperity and happiness.
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