It’s a tradition that only the oldest among us know about. For nearly 600 years, every young girl of marriageable age received from her mother a set of clothes, bonnets, headdresses, neck kerchiefs and household linen for her future home, all embroidered with her initials. A custom that has been lost over the years with the emancipation of women, cohabitation, the disappearance of the dowry and, even more surprisingly, the advent of duvet covers! Unaccustomed to playing the stars in museums, the wedding trousseau is now regaining its former glory in this moving exhibition revealing the underside of this important legacy of the past. Through the study and exceptional presentation of a complete 19th century trousseau, the Museum of Norman Traditions and Arts thus returns to the origins of this family heritage, often revealing an era and a a social class. As a counterpoint, the artist Elsa Duault takes her contemporary look at this intimate story through interviews with women from the region. In addition to his precious “audio portraits”, there are his astonishing disc sculptures made from embroidered wedding sheets. A way of perpetuating the memory of a forgotten rite.

CHÂTEAU DE MARTAINVILLE - MUSEUM OF NORMAN TRADITIONS AND ARTS
Until January 14, 2024
Route du Château, 76116 Martainville-Épreville