In the exhibition of the Jonas Šliūpas Museum, there is a unique piece of jewelry that tells the story of a Curonian woman

March 6 The second exhibition of the cycle of exhibitions of one exhibit was opened in the branch of the Lithuanian National Museum in the museum of Palanga mayor Jonas Šliūpas “Subtle Blue: What the Glass Eyes Saw”. This time it is dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Curonian Spit and tells about the worldview, aesthetic taste, and position of the Curonian woman in the community. The exhibition will be accompanied by a program of accompanying events expanding the story.

Brass and silver jewelry of the Balts, decorated with elaborate ornaments, eyelets of colored glass and various quotes, tell us not only about the material, but also about the richness and uniqueness of their spiritual culture. It is not surprising that the attention of both professional archeologists and amateurs of the past is focused on the jewelry of men and women of the white tribes. Some pieces of jewelry were favored by both men and women, while circle hooks, pins, and massive cross-headed pins were worn exclusively by women.

In the 8th-9th centuries, during their heyday, the Curonians adorned themselves abundantly. Pins with a cross head were the most characteristic jewelry of the Curonian tribe from the 5th century until the Middle Ages. This one of the favorite ornaments of the white tribes has been used for centuries not only to fasten the outer garment, but also to fasten the headdress. In the Middle Iron Age, after the formation of the traditions of the Curonian tribe, the Curonian began to fasten their outer garment with only one, massive and very decorative pin.

One of the exhibits in the exhibition “Subtle blue: what did the glass eyes see?” presents a unique massive pin with a cross head found in a woman’s grave in the Palanga cemetery with a band of attached compound quotation marks. The pin and hooks are brass covered with thin ornamented silver plates, the head is decorated with cones, and the hook plates are inlaid with blue glass eyelets. Decorative details made of blue glass – necklaces, jewelry eyes – were both a luxury and a sought-after fashionable detail at the time.

The deceased was prepared luxuriously for the posthumous journey – adorned with jewelry and accompanied with amulets and other items reflecting the Curonian burial customs of the time. The luxurious and unique headstones speak not only of the exclusivity of this deceased in her family, but also of the position of most other Curonian women in the community.

This knowledge prevents the women of the early medieval Balti tribe from disappearing into the twists and turns of history. With their way of life and their unique worldview, the Curonians significantly contributed to the history of the region they lived in and left behind a rich heritage of material culture that can be admired even today.

After 60 years, the exhibit discovered by archaeologists in the Palanga cemetery has once again shone its blue light in its native land. At the exhibition, visitors can also see a copy of it, looking at the original with the same blue eyes, and a curise cloak, hand-woven by the museum’s weavers, which can be wrapped around. And when you fasten the cloak with a pin and feel its weight, it will be easy to imagine yourself in the 9th century or to think about the social position of women in the so-called “blue period”.

Palangi residents and guests of the city are welcome at the exhibition “Subtle blue: what did the glass eyes see?” and accompanying events of the exhibition. At the event “What is jewelry or 25 reasons why to wear jewelry”, artist and jeweler Neringa Poškutė-Jukumienė will share stories about jewelry as an expression of identity and the essence of jewelry. Lovers of mysticism will be treated to a night hike with local historian Denis Nikitenka, whose stories intertwine the archaeological and mythological worlds. The last highlight of the exhibition will be May 4. The camp of the Curonian tribe is located in the courtyard of the Jonas Šliūpas Museum, where the Curonian History Club “Pilsots” will present the daily life, culture, and crafts of this tribe reconstructed with live dramatized stories. Follow the information about the accompanying events on the website of the Lithuanian National Museum at lnm.lt.

The exhibition “Subtle blue: what did the glass eyes see?” opened on March 6 at the Palanga mayor Jonas Šliūpas museum (Vytauto str. 23A, Palanga). and will operate until 2024. May 5th.