Trousseau

Trousseau

Brooms by Belgin Yucelen

I created an installation titled “Trousseau” (Çeyiz) which is a display of a girl’s belongings she takes with her to her husband’s house. It includes everything she has been creating together with her hopes, expectations and the things she has to leave behind.

The exhibit includes a series of monoprints and a movie. The movie is about a girl who is to be married soon.  It is about a girl’s final days before stepping into womanhood.

Each print is about a necessity in her new home such as her uçkurs (drawstring), shoes, gold, brooms, letters, and sugar scissors, which are one of the most important items for a trousseau especially where tea is consumed with hard sugar. I also created prints symbolizing all that she is leaving behind including her imagination, innocence, days of childhood, protection, toys and freedom.

Shoes by Belgin Yucelen

In Turkey, the trousseau is displayed for a week or two before the wedding takes place. This is an exciting time for the bride’s household because it is also an opportunity to display the exquisite taste of the bride. This tradition called “spreading of the trousseau” (çeyiz yayma) is done by the neighbors who are called askıcı kadın (hanging women). In addition to displaying the trousseau neatly they are responsible for keeping away the evil eye from the marriage by putting black cumin and cloves among the trousseau. This way they make sure that the marriage will go on forever.

Sugar Scissors by Belgin Yucelen

Fish by Belgin Yucelen

Imagination by Belgin Yucelen

As part of the installation a bridal chest is included. In between the items of a trousseau a screen will display a film. This short film is about a girl’s final days before stepping into womanhood.

Trousseau Series

"By all means, marry. If you get a good wife you will become happy. If you get a bad wife you will become a philosopher." 
                                             Socrates

Please visit my web site to see more of my artwork.

Belgin Yücelen