CONTENTS OF THE MUSEUM OF KOSS0VO ETHOGRAPHIC COLLECTION IN RELATION TO ETNICITY

Abstract

Museum of Kossovo and Metohia was founded in 1946 and opened to public in 1951, Since then, the Ethnographic Diepartment of the Museum has collectad over 5600 objects, mainly rural and urban home furnishings, costumes, textiles, jewelry, crafts and artisan products, objects of artistic merit as well as those used in religious and magical practices. The gathered objects are grouped into sub-collections according to their function and material they are made of. The present collections do not, however, encompass equally the cultural products of all ethnic groups that had livad or still live in this region. Thus, 35,5% of the material was produced and used by the Serblan popuiation, 36,6% by the Moslem and Catholic Albanians, 23.3% by the Turks, that is by the "urban Mosiem population”, 0,4% by the Montenegrins, 2,9% hy the Croats, and 1,6% by Goranci. There is not a single mention of the Gypsies, Moslams, Jaws, Tzintzars, or immigrants from Herzegovina and Lika. It is aiso interesting to note that there is very little informmation on the Montenegrins.

In the period between 1849-1965 the ethnogranhic objects in respect to ethnic affifiation very more evenly collected. From 1985 on, however, the ratio began to change so that, already in the 1970s absolute priority was given o the Albanian cultural products.