An Adornment of a Man's Face – a Moustache

An Adornment of a Man's Face – a Moustache

Production: City Museum of Novi Sad

Curator: Ivana Jovanović-Gudurić, senior curator, ethnologist-anthropologist

Exhibition will be present at Manak's House (unit of Etnographic Museum in Belgrade), Gavrila Principa 5, 11 000 Belgrade

Moustache (and beard) cannot be viewed separately from a man’s face, and in every culture and every era, a special attention was given to the look of the face and head in general. That fact carries mythological, religious, ethical, hygienic and finally, fashion motives. There are a lot of rules regarding covering, or uncovering the head and the face, modes of its adornment, or hair styles. Growing (or not growing) moustache and/or beard, along with their shape and appearance can send different messages about the person whose face they decorate.

The exhibition, An Adornment of a Man's Face – a Moustache, provides the cultural and historical perspective on moustaches, both as a fashion statement and an important part of 19^th century male identity. The audience will have the opportunity to explore this uncommon topic by inspecting portrait photographies, fashion etching prints, and advertisements from the aforementioned period. The exhibition also consists of articles on most popular moustache styles, army regulations on wearing (or not wearing) them, as well as other pieces of information gathered by the curator, Ivana Jovanović-Gudurić, in the course of the research. As the topic of fashion and moustaches is closely related to the history of a barber's craft, the exhibition will also display the objects from the barber's craft Collection of the City Museum of Novi Sad.