Embroidered sheepskin waistcoat from Transylvania

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• Mens sheepskin waistcoat, decorated with hand sewn cut leather appliqué stained pink and and pale cream, and coloured embroidery in red, green, purple, blue and pink wools..The waistcoat fastens with two leather buttons and loops, Decorated sheepskin coats, jackets and waiscoats were common in  Transylvania and in some areas less highly decorated sheepskin jackets are still worn. I think that this waistcoat is from Hungarian Transylvania, the colours are beautiful and this piece shows an amazing skill and standard of workmanship. Its not in perfect condition, there is wear in some places
• Saxon Trasylvania in particular was well known  for  its furrier workshops in the 19th century. An embroidered sheepskin coat  from Saxon Transylvania can be seen on the British museum website here
• Ref  British Museum

Embroidered Mangle Board Cover

Lovely old cross stitch embroidered mangle board holder . This piece is from the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania. Faded red cross stitch on hemp, this piece dates from the 19th century. In the days before irons and metal mangles wooden mangle boards were used to flatten linen.  These wooden mangles were usually handcarved  by young men, sometimes as gifts for their bride to be, they often had intricate carved designs and have become collectors items in their own right.  There is more information on the history of the mangle board here