Filigree as Kosovo’s cultural heritage: Craft, art, and communication in the museum contex

Abstract

This paper will address the artistic works of silver metal, which belongs to the group of precious metals, as well as the activities organized within the projects of the Ethnological Museum that aimed to foster communication between the museum and visitors, and to promote the fine art of the jewelry craft and the filigree technique both inside and outside Kosovo. Among other things, the paper seeks to highlight and present, even if modestly, the Albanian ethno-cultural and artistic values preserved within the museum collections. Particular attention will also be given to the current state of filigree in our country today. In Kosovo, the historical and ongoing center of filigree has been the ancient and beautiful city of Prizren. However, jewelers from Prishtina, Peja (notably with the granulation technique), and Gjakova (primarily the savat technique) have also been engaged in this craft. Filigree works, which mainly include women’s jewelry but also men’s ornaments, reflect the specific skill of using and combining fine threads, the extraordinary precision, the applied artistry, the talent, as well as the high artistic qualities of the filigree masters.