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Intangible cultural heritage in Slovakia – Blue-dyeing

Intangible cultural heritage in Slovakia – Blue-dyeing

The obverse of the coin
The reverse of the coin

Blue-dyeing, (‘modrotlač’ in Slovak) is a craft process where a pattern is applied to fabric by using a block to print a dye-resistant paste, called Papp, onto the fabric before dyeing it with indigo. Originally an oriental method of decorating fabrics, it became a significant part of Slovak and European textile traditions. It was adopted in Slovak rural areas in the 19th century, becoming an important part of folk clothing and household textiles. Compared with other central European countries, Slovakia maintained considerable regional diversity in blue-dyed patterns and a high density of blue-dye workshops until the mid-20th century. While rural blue-dyeing gradually declined, interest in the practice has recently grown among fashion designers. In 2018 Slovakia’s blue-dyeing tradition was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as part of a multinational nomination submitted by Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Czechia and Hungary.

Leaflet