An elegant costume on display at the National Museum of Iceland

It is not so conclusive who wore the costume at the beginning, but it is possible that this is the wedding dress of Þórunn Ólafsdóttir who married Hannes Finnsson Bishop in 1780. Hempuskilds and coffins that accompany the costume have been the property of Þórunn's mother, Sigríður Magnúsdóttir, and bear her initials SMD.

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The costume has a very interesting history. Botanist William Jackson Hooker bought the costume in this country in 1809. Hooker took a ride by ship to Britain that same year, with the costume in his fleet. It was not better for the ship to catch fire in front of Reykjanes. Passengers were rescued aboard the ship Orion, where none other than Jörund the Dog Day King was captain.

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The costume was supposed to hear the story - but it was not. When Elsa E. Gudjónsson (1924-2010), a textile scientist at the National Museum for decades, sat in 1963 with a Georgian in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, she rolled her eyes at the description of the costume she explored. The costume had been rescued at the shipyard in 1809 and sold to the museum after the botanist's days. The costume has been preserved in its entirety along with accessories, but it is accompanied by a large and high-quality silver, as well as a hem.

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Elsa wrote a detailed description of the costumes and its history in the Yearbook of the Icelandic Archaeological Society in 1984 and interested people can consult the article on vímarit.is and view photos by clicking here.

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In the costume there is a unique cultural value. He sheds light on the arts, the status of women, class division, and the history of what we now call national costumes. The costume derives its name from the headdress, the skirt, and is one of the few costumes considered to be women's national costumes. When the costume arrives in the country, it is an opportunity to study this landmark from the point of view of cultural and costume history as well as the history of those who came to make it and enjoyed it and carried it.

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Here you can find the news of RÚV on the arrival of the costume in Iceland and Here is a review of the same medium from 2023.

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