The Bridal Costume: Threads of the Past [Icelandic]

The National Museum of Iceland offers an exciting programme of events every Sunday throughout the winter and spring. The first Sunday of each month is dedicated to children and families, while other Sundays feature expert-guided tours of the museum’s exhibitions. On the last Sunday of each month, the guided tour is conducted in a foreign language.

On Sunday, 22 November at 2 pm, a guided tour of the exhibition A Story to Unfold – The Bridal Costume will take place. Guðrún Hildur Rosenkjær, historian and master dressmaker and costume maker, and Ásmundur Kristjánsson, goldsmith, will discuss the craftsmanship behind the bridal costume and offer insights into its creation.

One of the most elaborate women's costumes in Icelandic history was long believed to have been lost in a shipwreck off the coast of Iceland in 1809. However, it later emerged that the costume had survived, and in 1963 it was unexpectedly rediscovered at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This discovery marked a turning point in Icelandic costume research.

For many years, Guðrún Hildur has dedicated her career to researching, reconstructing and sharing knowledge about traditional Icelandic costumes. Her work combines critical analysis of historical sources with practical research methods, reconstructing costumes, materials and techniques to shed new light on aspects that written records alone cannot explain. Working alongside goldsmith Ásmundur Kristjánsson, who has recreated the costume's jewellery, she has studied the bridal costume in great detail, contributing valuable knowledge about its construction and materials.

Following the guided tour, at 3 pm, Guðrún Hildur will lead an embroidery gathering in the children's and family area on the ground floor, entitled Embroidery Gathering – Add Your Stitches to Guðrún's Flower Garden. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about floral embroidery and contribute to a collaborative textile project that will be preserved in the museum's collection.

Admission to the museum includes access to the event. Please note that a museum admission ticket also serves as an annual pass, granting access to all museum exhibitions and events upon presentation of the pass. Admission to exhibitions and events is free for children under 18.

‍