Women's accessories - "Romani Gold" necklace created within the framework of the In Circulation: Romani Design project

The "Romani Gold" necklace was created as part of the exhibition series In Circulation, launched by the Contemporary Design Department in 2018. According to the concept, the invited designer will select an object or ensemble of objects from the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, and will create a new design as inspired by the object(s). Our fifth invited artist in the series is Romani Design founded by Erika Varga and Helena Varga in 2010. The sisters chose a total of six art objects from the collections of the museum. It is not by chance that these are all devotional pictures depicting either the Virgin Mary or other female saints, which provided the inspiration for the designers to create six enchantingly richly patterned women’s garments and coordinated accessories (see also 2021.515.1.; 2021.517.1-2.; 2021.518.1-2.; 2021.519.1.; 2021.520.1.; 2021.521.1.).

The long stripes of the necklace look like sunrays. The central element of the necklace is the image of the Csatka Madonna statue, which is positioned in a star-shaped golden frame. Depictions of Virgin Mary and a portrait familiar from the Women’s Emancipation dress are also visible. The designers exchanged the portraits: in place of the Virgin, they positioned Erika Varga, who holds baby Helena in her arms.