Slutsk belts are highly artistic handwoven accessories. They were manufactured in Belarus in the second half of the 18th — early 19th century.
These belts were handwoven at the Slutsk Silk Belt Manufactory, owned by the princely Radziwiłł family. It was the first enterprise engaged in the production of belts not only in Belarus, but also throughout the territory of the then Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In the 1760s and 1770s, Slutsk belts were woven from natural silk threads, both ordinary ones and threads wrapped with the finest gold or silver wire. The length of the various belts ranged from 300 to 408 centimeters, width — from 27 to 28.5 centimeters. They were decorated with elaborate patterns. Both sides of the belt were woven in different colors. Along the length, the belt was usually filled with transverse strips or a scaly pattern. The tips were adorned with images of lush garlands of flowers and leaves. The belt was also decorated with a narrow patterned border.
From the early 1780s, the belts ended with a silk gold fringe, with a length from 12 to 30 centimeters.
Belarusian folk patterns were used in the design of Slutsk belts, including stylized cornflowers, forget-me-nots, oak leaves, and acorns. Belts could also be “cast”. Such belts seemed to be cast from a single piece of metal, even though they were woven from gold silk threads. The “cast” belts were made on special rollers.
One side of the Slutsk belt was usually lighter, the other was darker or even black. The belts were reversible, which made it possible to use the same belt at both weddings and funerals.
The artifact on display in the Museum of Russian Heritage is a four-sided cast Slutsk belt. It is divided along its length by the color and pattern of the field, creating two symmetrical halves that each feature a double repetition of the “carnation” motif. Symmetrically arranged narrow leaves with serrated upper edges, carnations and twigs with small flowers grouped in threes depart from a stem emerging from the ground. The stem is crowned with a magnificent inflorescence of Turkish carnation. The decorative elements placed on a golden-gray background are blue, and the ones on a silver-beige background are brown. The border at the bottom repeats the first strip of the middle section.
