Hungarian Costume Doll: "Baba"

Hungarian Costume Doll: "Baba"

Collection: Everyday Connections


Country: Hungary
Continent: Europe
Geographic Region: Eastern Europe
Materials: Fabric/Fiber, Bisque
width: 6 in; height: 16 in; depth: 3 in

This is a vintage Hungarian cloth doll dressed in a folk costume. Her headdress is that of the Matyo people of Mezokovesd, Hungary. Her entire body is tightly stuffed cloth. Her arms and legs have metal joints which enable her limbs to move back and forth. Her hands are sewn to indicate individual fingers and her thumbs are separate. Her composition head is covered with the traditional headdress of married Matyo women.

This doll is wearing traditional Hungarian clothing, specifically from the Matyo region. There isn't a single "Hungarian traditional dress". Folk costume varies greatly from region to region, and even from village to village.

Embroidery, although it varied in style, colors, and technique, can be said to be a universal element of Hungarian folk costume. This likely goes back to the Renaissance, when fancy brocades were in fashion, but very expensive; embroidery was the poor man's way of achieving the same look.

Matyo folk art, with its colorful embroidery and motifs, became part of the UNESCO World Heritage in December 2012.
Source:
https://hungarianfolk.com/portfolio/matyo-folk-dresses