The Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, a public cultural institution under the authority of the Cluj County Council, announced that it acquired Romania's largest collection of mărțișor, the traditional symbol of spring. The mărțișoare will be on display as part of a dedicated exhibition set to open on February 27.

The exhibition, titled "Din pasiune pentru mărțișor" (Out of Passion for mărțișor), features over 5,200 pieces, many of them unique, collected over the past 50 years by Ingeborg Marta Bogdan, a Cluj native, the museum said. The oldest piece in the collection dates back to 1960.

The collection could be divided into traditional (classic) and atypical (extraordinary) mărțișoare, the Ethnographic Museum said. Most of them, 87%, come from the communist era, while 13% were gathered post-Revolution.

The majority are made from metal, but the collection also includes pieces crafted from plastic, ceramics, textiles, and wood.

Traditional mărțișoare in the collection include flowers, chimney sweeps, anchors, horseshoes, hearts, and four-leaf clovers in various forms, while the atypical ones depict cartoon characters, household items, sports accessories, tarot, zodiac signs, icons, and books.

The exhibition "Din pasiune pentru mărțișor" will open with a vernissage on February 27 at 11:00 AM at the Reduta Hall of the Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania. It will be open to visitors from February 27 to March 31, Wednesday to Sunday, between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/Muzeul Etnografic al Transilvaniei)