A collection that reflects the way of life and economic activities, as well as the material and spiritual culture of the people of Aranđelovac from the late 19th century through the 20th century.
As a tourist destination, Aranđelovac and its surroundings developed largely in response to the needs of the local population, but also in accordance with the diverse profiles of visitors to the Bukovička Banja Spa.
The population of nearby villages contributed their resources to support the town’s growth and adjusted their own activities to meet the needs of both local residents and spa guests.
Throughout all periods of the town’s existence, numerous shops and taverns, craft workshops, banks, and other establishments were opened. The architecture ranges from European-style villas to traditional Šumadija houses with yards, characteristic of the region.
The main street of Aranđelovac served as a gathering point, thoroughfare, and central axis of local life. Almost all workshops and shops, the market, taverns, and trading places were located there.
The ethnological department collection of the National Museum of Aranđelovac represents both rural and urban traditions of the local population. The objects belong to the material and spiritual culture of the area and are categorized into several sub-collections:
crafts,
household furnishings,
kitchenware,
textiles,
photographic archive.
A particularly valuable part includes guild documents, such as master and journeyman certificates, which form a part of the documentary sub-collection.
A collection that illustrates the way of life and economic activity, as well as the material and spiritual culture of the people of Aranđelovac from the late 19th century through the 20th century.
As a tourist center, Aranđelovac and its surroundings developed significantly in line with the needs of the local population, but also adapted to the diverse profiles of visitors to the Bukovička Banja spa.
The residents of the surrounding villages supported the development of the town by providing their resources and aligning their activities with the needs of the townspeople and spa guests.
Throughout all periods of the town’s existence, numerous shops and taverns, craft workshops, and banks were established. The architecture ranged from European-style villas to traditional Šumadija houses with enclosed yards, typical for the region.
The main street of Aranđelovac was the hub, flow, and axis of all local life. Nearly all workshops and stores, the town market, taverns, and trading posts were located along it.
The objects in the ethnology department of the National Museum of Aranđelovac reflect both rural and urban traditions of the population. These items belong to the material and spiritual culture of the area and are divided into several sub-collections:
crafts,
household furnishings,
kitchenware,
textiles,
photographic archive.
A particularly important segment consists of master craftsmen’s certificates, journeyman letters, and other guild documents, which form a significant part of the documentary sub-collection.
The textile collection includes items related to traditional and urban clothing, textile household furnishings, and ritual textile objects.
Within the segment of textile household furnishings, the collection features:
kilims and other woven covers,
cotton-made furnishings, and
crocheted and embroidered household items.
The clothing segment consists of:
pieces of urban attire,
folk costumes, and
modern garments from the post–World War II period.
Before the invention of synthetic materials, the earliest vessels were made of wood and stone, followed by ceramics as the first synthetic material.
Wooden vessels remained in use for a long time among the inhabitants of this part of the Šumadija region.
In addition to ceramic and wooden items, the collection also includes a significant number of porcelain, glass, and metal/enamelware vessels. These objects were most often donated to the museum by the residents of Aranđelovac.
The most diverse sub-collection of the ethnology department, which most vividly reflects the way of life in Aranđelovac and its surroundings.
This sub-collection includes:
Furniture items:
wardrobes, beds, low dining tables (sofres), and stands
Agricultural tools:
plowshares, hoes, rakes, pitchforks, axes, sickles
Implements for processing crops and agricultural products:
wool winders, distaffs, weaving looms, coffee grinders and roasters, small household appliances
Food storage containers:
wooden barrels
Decorative household items and lighting fixtures
Items related to home security:
padlocks and keys
Various domestic objects:
washbasins, boxes, chests, horseshoes
A notable part of the collection is made up of numerous personal items, such as:
snuffboxes, spittoons, and cases.
The photographs from the ethnological collection document the transformation of spatial units and buildings, narrate the lives of people, and serve as the most personal first-hand visual record of life in a Šumadija market town during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Curator: Nevenka Dojić, ethnologist–anthropologist
Tickets can be purchased and visits to the museum and other sites can be reserved at the addresses listed below.
