Путь "археологической", или "исторической" одежды к фольклорным ансамблям
The Clothes of Folklore Ensembles and Ethnic Identity

Summary/Abstract: The article investigates how the so-called “archaeological" or "historical" clothes reach folklore ensembles. It focuses on the problems which the leaders of folk ensembles face in the effort to obtain such clothes, as well as the assistance they can expect from archaeologists, ethnologists, museum experts and folk masters. It also singles out the major reasons which encourage the selection of old 9th-15th century clothes rather than the traditional national attire of the end of the 19th-the beginning of the 20th century. Archaeological exhibitions have required rational and accurate data on the earliest Lithuanian clothes. The main reason which has necessitated reconstruction of the ancient Lithuanian clothes was the decision of museum experts to demonstrate archaeological finds on mannequins instead of exhibiting them on the shelves, which revealed that nobody knew how to dress them. Another stimulus was the trip of archaeologists and museum experts to Biskupin in Poland, where the Living Archaeology Festival was arranged. The idea of such a festival was brought to Lithuania and realized in Kernave. We have analysed three different ways of the acquisition of ancient clothes starting with archaeological finds, archaeologists, restorers, folk masters and designers, and ending up with folklore ensembles. It is most important to exoi cise a practical application of the living experimental archaeology, which is so popular today.

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