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.
Some aspects of the problem of reflection of ethnic distinctions in stylistic variations of artefacts
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In the article the basic tendencies of ethnic interpretation of a stylistic variation in the archaeological record are stated. Despite the sceptical discussions of this question, ethnic interpretation remains one of the basic directions in archeology. Criticising the unilateral and tendentious character of the approach of G. Kossina in ethnic interpretation of artefacts, some researchers have accepted attempts to formulate a number of complex approaches among which the ethnoarchaeological studies play an important role. Ethnoarcheology, in some cases, confirms a parity of ethnic borders with material culture, in others this is not so. At the same time, the majority of researchers consider that the given parity should be observed in stylistic, instead of in typological distinctions. Unfortunately, the “stylistic” approach is also far from the decision of these interpretative archeological problems. Ethnic reconstructions demand more complex schemes, taking into account known factors and the contexts reflected, not only in an archaeological material. The contextual-historical approach was put forward in the first half of the last century, but, owing to its complexity, has not given exhaustive results. Probably, its synchronic-diachronic application to more limited archaeological areas will bring fruitful results. In this case, style and stylistic variations should play a key role.
Andrei Corobcean
Archaeological vestiges of the 5th-3rd centuries BC in the Carpathian-Dniester region as a source of ethnic interpretation. Historiographical issues
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ion Niculiță, Andrei Nicic, Andrei Corobcean
The results of the archaeological investigations at the civil settlement Saharna „Dealul Mănăstirii” (2008 campaign)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. III [XVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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
