DRĂGAICA TOAK PORCELAIN ART DOLL

DRĂGAICA TOAK PORCELAIN ART DOLL

Three ever made, Private collections

A luxury BJD (ball-jointed-doll) – a piece of Romanian culture & mythology, so universal in meaning, yet so particular in aesthetics and almost completely unknown to the world. Each and every symbol and decoration on the doll’s surface and clothing are relevant to its sacred self, the deity it represents.

THE STORY

Sanzeienele (pronounced ”soon-see-ehn-eh”) is a Romanian solar celebration, dedicated to fire by the lit torches young men ritually rotate in the direction of the sun’s journey in the sky. It takes place on the 24th of Iune and it’s also called Drăgaica, The Day of the Sun, or The Voiceless Cuckoo, because starting with this day until the winter equinox of the next year, this oracular bird will not be heard singing anymore. The Sanziene are fairies, they are flowers, girl-flowers, anthropo-vegetable states of the most beloved mytho-folkloric characters. They are called in some places Drăgaice, derived from the Slavonic word “draga” (meaning beautiful, darling), but in most parts of Romania, they’re named Sânziene. The renowed writer Mircea Eliade thought that their origins are from a roman cult dedicated to the goddess Diana (Sanctae Dianae), worshiped just the same in Dacia (n.a. ancient pre-Romanian civilization).“ IULIA GORNEANU

Drăgaica would walk the earth or float in mid air in the day of the summer solstice and she would delight herself with songs and dance along with her nuptial procession made of beautiful maiden fairies, over fields and woods. In Romania’s Southern Muntenia region Drăgaica bands are organized that wander around the village and the girl who enacts Drăgaica is dressed as a bride in a shimmering white gown, wearing a crown of Sanziene (Drăgaica) flowers, reminiscing the wedding procession.

Limoges Porcelain/ Painted with Gold& Platinum Luster/ Swarovski crystals & Pearls / Gold-plated Silver crown / Hand embroidered costume / Cotton & Natural Silk costume / Original Alice watercolor illustration printed on costume / Completely handcrafted. Every doll is made to order, that’s why differences from the photos featured on this web page may occur. Small imperfections are the guarantee of the high quality of the doll and its hand-made nature – we call them “birthmarks”. Sensitive to scratches.