Tuesday Lecture: Treasures in the Dowry – Wardrobe or Work of Art? [Icelandic]

Every Tuesday at lunchtime throughout the winter and spring months, the National Museum of Iceland hosts a variety of events, including film screenings, guided tours and lectures.

On Tuesday, 17 November at 12:00, Guðrún Hildur Rosenkjær, historian and master dressmaker and costume maker, will give a lecture on the remarkable dowry of Þórunn Ólafsdóttir from 1780, when she married Bishop Hannes Finnsson.

Þórunn's story is extraordinary in many ways, as are the clothing and jewellery described in her dowry. Drawing on her research into 18th-century clothing and traditional costumes, Guðrún Hildur will explore the meaning and significance of Þórunn's remarkable collection of garments. To illustrate the scale and splendour of these costumes, she will present historical reconstructions of similar clothing, along with other fascinating examples.

For many years, Guðrún Hildur has dedicated her career to researching, reconstructing and interpreting Icelandic traditional costumes. Her work combines scholarly analysis of historical sources with hands-on research, recreating garments, textiles and traditional techniques to shed new light on aspects of history that written records alone cannot fully explain.

Following the lecture, Guðrún Hildur will lead an embroidery gathering in the children's and family area on the first floor, entitled Embroidery Gathering – Add Your Stitches to Guðrún's Flower Garden. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover traditional floral embroidery and contribute to a collaborative textile project that will be preserved at the museum.

Please note that the lecture will be in Icelandic.

Admission to the event is included in the museum entrance fee. Please note that every admission ticket also serves as an annual pass, providing access to all exhibitions and events organised by the museum for one year from the date of purchase. Admission to exhibitions and events is free for children under 18.

‍