The ethnographic collection represents one of the most significant museum units and comprises a rich fund of objects that testify to the material and spiritual culture of the Bijelo Polje region. The collection also preserves the tangible and intangible heritage of the local population, particularly skills and knowledge related to traditional crafts and artistic forms.
The collection was established in the early 1960s of the 20th century, when around one hundred objects of folk creativity were collected. Over the decades, through intensive fieldwork by the Museum, the fund has been significantly expanded, so that today it comprises several hundred objects. Most of the items were acquired through purchase, while a smaller portion entered the Museum as donations.
Cultural significance The ethnographic heritage of Bijelo Polje has been shaped by the diverse national and cultural traditions of the population of this region. The objects from the collection illustrate:
- folk customs,
- traditional clothing and folklore
- traditions of old crafts,
- everyday life in urban and rural environments.
Chronological framework Most of the objects date from the second half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, and were produced in workshops of traditional crafts: blacksmithing, tailoring, carpentry, pottery, shoemaking, watchmaking, etc.
Sub-collections The objects are classified into thematic units:
- folk costumes (rural and urban),
- folk art,
- traditional economy (agriculture and livestock farming),
- traditional crafts,
- jewellery and ceramics,
- household furniture and utensils,
- religious objects and paraphernalia,
- other objects and accessories.
Value and protection The ethnographic collection represents a valuable source for the study of the life, customs, and aesthetic values of the population of Bijelo Polje. Due to its cultural and historical significance, it was entered in 1962 into the Register of Movable Cultural Monuments of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro and is under legal protection.