NEEDLEWORK MEN’S BELTS IN THE ETHNOGRAPHIC TRADITIONS OF THE BALTIC STATES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LATVIA, LITHUANIA, AND ESTONIA DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD
NEEDLEWORK MEN’S BELTS IN THE ETHNOGRAPHIC TRADITIONS OF THE BALTIC STATES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LATVIA, LITHUANIA, AND ESTONIA DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the shared and distinctive characteristics of needlework men’s belts in the Baltic states, with a focus on research methodologies and historiographical perspectives. Central to this study is the Historically Ethnographic Atlas of the Baltic Peoples. Clothing (1986, Историко-этнографический атлас Прибалтики. Одежда), which includes a dedicated chapter on belts. The analysis of needlework belts from the 19th and early 20th centuries highlights the ideological influences shaping interpretations of traditional clothing. While beadwork and woolwork belts were more prevalent in Latvia and Estonia, only a few examples have been documented in Lithuania, reflecting variations in ethnographic research priorities and the evolution of museum collections. Ethnographic studies conducted during the Soviet period, as part of a broader policy on ethnic histories and lifestyles, were subject to ideological constraints. Despite these limitations and the influence of propaganda, the Atlas provides a valuable comparative framework and a significant reference point for contemporary research. This study assesses the contributions of Latvian ethnographer Mirdza Slava (1924–2001), Estonian ethnographer Eevi Astel (1938–2025), and Lithuanian ethnographers Vida Kulikauskienė (1933–2023) and Marija Miliuvienė (1931–2018) in documenting belts in their respective countries, as well as their collaborative efforts in analysing embroidered men’s belts across the Baltic region.

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