Lidový a zlidovelý šperk v ceských zemích

In the European milieu, jewellery became an essential part of aristocratic and bourgeois clothing, and it can be presumed that the desire to embellish clothes was also present among the lower social strata. The absence of written and pictorial sources regarding earlier periods does not allow for the reconstruction of the continuous development of the garments and ornaments of the country people, it can be only observed from the second half of the 18th century onwards. These simple ornaments were produced by dressmakers, blacksmiths, tinsmiths and shepherds and were intended for local communities, so they had the character of authentic folk jewellery. Further accessories and pieces of jewellery were purchased at markets and fairs or from door-to-door sellers offering haberdashery, later also in shops in towns and cities. These products fall into the category of popular art, while factory output had the character of the products of mass culture, with identical features in the urban and rural milieu.