Buckles (paftale) are an almost indispensable element of traditional women's dress in the Southeastern European area, particularly in the Balkans, and have been in use over a long period, from the 14th to the 20th century. The word pafta is of Turkic origin-possibly entering the language via Iranian influence-derived from the Persian word bafta, meaning "woven," which evolved in Turkish to signify "plate." Today, the term is used in nearly identical forms in Romanian (pafta), Bulgarian (пафта), Serbian (пафте), and some Aromanian dialects (pafta), designating functional and ornamental clothing accessories used to fasten belts, girdles, or sashes, crafted from various materials and decorated using different techniques. The three buckles decorated in the polychrome enamel technique, preserved in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova, belong to the South-Danubian tradition and are dated to the late 19th - early 20th century.
Each buckle consists of two identical trapezoidal parts, their surfaces divided into three roughly equal registers, adorned with stylized vegetal motifs forming a metal lattice into which enamel is poured. The two parts extend into sharp angles at the ends, forming a triangle with the edge of the last decorative register, similarly ornamented. The enamel used to fill the floral motifs is black, turquoise, white, orange, green, yellow, and burgundy. The entire decorative field is framed by a beaded border.
On the reverse, both components retain a copper band riveted along the edge, used to fasten the ends of the belt. The fastening system, made by interlocking the hinges of the two parts and secured with a movable pin attached by a chain to a clasp fixed on one of the buckle pieces, is concealed by a rectangular plate (riveted with three pins to the body of the piece), with narrow edges ending in sharp angles, decorated in the same style and technique. Additionally, it features three circular settings with notched edges bent inward to hold centrally placed red and green glass paste. These settings are framed by a radiant, notched band.
The symbolism of the color palette encodes meanings and symbols, chosen for their believed magical powers. Red has always represented love, affection, and protection against curses and the evil eye; white symbolizes purity and spiritual and physical cleanliness; blue is symbolically associated with infinity, morning, new beginnings, and transformation; green represents destiny, hope, prosperity, balance, and rebirth, being linked to nature's revival each spring and to life itself.
Deposit of Flint Raw Material from the Late Tripolian Settlement Sharin III
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
This article is dedicated to the deposit of the flint blades, found in the settlement of the latest period of development of the Tripolian culture (C II) Sharin III (v. Sharin, Uman’ district, Cherkassy region, Ukraine). Regarding the analogous deposits (Halep’ye, Sandraky, Ivano-Frankovsk, Kosenovka) from the Southern Bug and Dnieper and the Southern Bug and middle Dnestr rivers, we may consider them as deposits of raw material. Taking into account the location of the deposits (near buildings), value and prestige of the high quality flint from Volynia, this deposits can be connected with rituals. Further, the depositions were the part of a ritual of «leaving the settlements».
List of illustrations: Table 1. The results of the radiocarbon dating of the remains of building (№ 2), were the Sharin deposit was found. Fig. 1. Location of the deposits of flint raw material and workshops in the area of Tripolian culture (period C II): 1 - Sharin; 2 - Kosenovka; 3 - Halep’ye; 4 - Sandraky; 5 - Ivano-Frankovsk; 6 - Kislitskoe 7 - Bodaki. Fig. 2. The location of the deposit on the settlement Sharin III. Fig. 3. Plates from Sharin deposit. Fig. 4. The remounting of nucleus from the plates of Sharin deposit.
Buckles (paftale) are an almost indispensable element of traditional women's dress in the Southeastern European area, particularly in the Balkans, and have been in use over a long period, from the 14th to the 20th century....
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
