The Croatian island of Pag lies in the Adriatic Sea north of Zadar in northern Dalmatia. Pag has a length of 58.25 kilometres and, with an area of 284.18 square kilometres, is the fifth largest island in the Adriatic.
On Pag the production of lace (sewing lace) has a very long and widespread tradition. Pag lace is a popular souvenir. In Pag City there is an interesting museum on the history of the Pag lace. Closely tied to lace is the traditional costume of Pag that is handed down from generation to generation. Also of late Gothic-Renaissance origin, it is known and appreciated throughout Europe. The women’s dress, in particular, is very elaborate, with showy colours, a three-pointed headdress decorated with lace and an ornament around the neck called paški teg, often accompanied by large earrings (ročini) with pendants in the shape of bells or pearls and a gold necklace.
The costume is often used during the events in which the tanac, the typical folk dance of the island, is danced. It is a dance with lateral rotation accompanied by the music of traditional wind instruments similar to bagpipes, such as the mih and mišnice.
The flora on Pag is characterized by holm oaks, pines, reeds and olive trees, but also Aleppo pines grow there. The numerous sheep feed mainly on herbs such as sage and thyme, which they find on the rocky surface of the island. Bamboo also grows abundantly on Pag.
Source: The Serbs in the Adriatic. Their types and costumes. Published 1870-1878. Brockhaus Leipzig Germany.
