A Voyage in History - The Bridal Costume

One of the most magnificent bridal costumes in Iceland’s history is to be the highlight of an exhibition in the Arc Hall at the National Museum of Iceland. The costume, dating primarily from the late 18th century, was believed to have been lost in a shipwreck off the south of Iceland. Documentary evidence of the costume existed, and in 1866 Sigurður Guðmundsson “the Painter,” curator and advocate for the establishment of the National Museum and pioneer of the revival of Icelandic costumes, wrote: “That was all lost off the south of the country in 1809, with Englishmen. Our land has utterly lost these objects, and now there is no hope that such fine things may be obtained here in Iceland, or even examples of such objects.”

Later it was discovered that the costume was not lost at sea, but its whereabouts were unknown. In 1963, Elsa E. Guðjónsson, textile and costume specialist, discovered it in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Six years later it was loaned to the National Museum of Iceland for an exhibition, and now it is to return.

The costume has an extraordinary and complex history, that almost defies belief.

- How did this magnificent costume come to be aboard an English ship that caught fire off the Icelandic coast in 1809?
- How did it reach one of England’s leading museums?
- What was the role of Jørgen Jørgensen, the colourful character who was later briefly “protector” or “king” of Iceland, in rescuing the costume from the wreck?
- What is a faldbúningur costume? What makes this one a bridal costume?
- Who owned and wore the extraordinary costume?
- Who was the woman known as Mother of Flowers? Did she embroider any parts of the costume?
- Do any similar costumes exist in Iceland?

The answers to these questions are presented in the exhibition THE BRIDAL COSTUME at the National Museum of Iceland. This is a unique opportunity to see the costume and learn about its extraordinary story from 18th century until to today.

Artist Kristjana S Williams interprets the bridal costume’s fateful story through a visual representation amidst the artifacts in the exhibition hall.

The exhibition will open on May 9th, 2026, and remain open for a year.

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