Costumes and Images of Alsace Exhibition: Dressing in the Hanau Region

For the first time, the Musée du Pays de Hanau dedicates an exhibition to the history, evolution, and significance of regional costumes worn in this area. The result of an extensive collection project carried out between 2022 and 2024, this event is based on the study of nearly 3,000 textile pieces, whose rediscovered treasures have helped better understand these iconic garments.

Through locally worn clothing items, their transformations, and distinctive features, the exhibition examines the uses and functions behind the variety of fabrics, embroideries, and techniques employed. It raises questions such as the role of textiles in narrating life journeys or the origin of the large black bow headdress. Reinterpretations—whether artistic, historical, or folkloric—highlight the richness, longevity, and sources of inspiration of this local textile tradition.

Nearly 300 works are presented in this unprecedented exhibition, offering an in-depth look at a little-known yet fascinating clothing heritage.