Klára Zářecká

7.28 Lace as a Historical and Artistic Phenomenon and an Object of Museum Education (Paper)

Klára Zářecká – board member of the Czech Section of INSEA | Department of Art, Visual Culture and Textile Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

Abstract:

The Orlické Mountains and Podorlicko regions are traditional lace-making areas in the Czech lands. Lace was used to decorate homes, fashioned into dresses, and remains one of the most important fashion accessories. Lace-making has played, and continues to play, a significant role in the socio-economic, aesthetic, and cultural spheres. The production and trade of lace have been a source of livelihood for many families. Today, handmade lace-making in the Orlické Mountains and Podorlicko region is primarily a hobby and an area of artistic textile creation.

Among the prominent lace makers are textile artists Marie Sedláčková-Serbousková, Milča Eremiášová, Emilie Frydecká, Emilie Paličková-Mildeová, Marie Vaňková-Kuchynková, and others. Evidence of lace-making is preserved in collections housed in memory institutions, particularly at the Vamberk Lace Museum, as well as in buildings managed by the National Heritage Institute (ÚOP Josefov and Pardubice) and by private owners. Lace-making in the Orlické Mountains and Podorlicko represents a vital part of the region’s spiritual and cultural heritage, and its products form part of the material heritage.

In 2017, lace was registered on the List of Intangible Assets of Traditional Folk Culture of the Hradec Králové Region, and in 2019, the lace-making tradition of Vamberk was added to the List of Intangible Assets of Traditional Folk Culture of the Czech Republic. This paper introduces lace as a historical and artistic phenomenon with significant potential for art museum education. Interest in textile art is currently growing, and the range of educational activities associated with exhibition projects is increasingly diverse.

This paper was prepared as part of NAKI’s Threads of Memory Project: The Past and Present of Vamberk Lace-making (DH23P03OVV022).