002.439.Idrija

Idrija Municipal Museum, Prelovčeva 9, SI-5280 Idrija

Public

Municipality of Idrija, Mestni trg 1, SI-5280 Idrija

510:IDR;EZ-378

Mine, Daily life

In Idrija, the birdcage, is also called a “fuglavž”. The wooden cage with metal wire is square. The top edges are slightly rounded, with the door in front and a wire for hanging the cage on the top. The entire bottom in inserted as a drawer, which was pulled out and cleaned when necessary. It has a little rod (bird stand) an unfixed little food trough inside.

Length 38 cm, width 20 cm, height 28 cm.

Wood, metal.

The time of creation is unknown.

Manufacturer information is not known.

The miners bred different bird species in the bird cage. They often had songbirds: finches, canaries, nightingale, tits, larks, robins etc. Cages with birds were hung in the “house” on the walls, were placed between the windows, on low cabinets, in the summer time on and under the oven and on the floor. The Robin bird – “cek”, with clipped wings, flew around the room and picked fleas in many houses. The birds kept mining families company. Those birds, who sang beautifully, were the pride of the miners. Discussions about birds were a popular topic at meetings with mining coworkers. They were also a reason for visiting, objects for exchanging and purchasing, even objects of envy, if one miner’s bird sang better than another miner’s bird. The miners often chased the birds on their own, namely with chaff and despite official prohibition and persecution of the bird chaser by the members of an armed police force.

The bird cage is being preserved, secured and presented as important mining heritage of Idrija with exceptional universal values. It is a part of the ethnological collection of Idrija Municipal Museum. Visitors can view it within the permanent museum display exhibition in the Idrija Miner's House. It can also be used for different types of mercury heritage promotions. The items displayed in the Idrija Miner’s House take the visitors to the lives and residential code of mining families in Idrija in housing from the first half of the 20th century.

Idrija.

The Idrija Miner's House, Bazovniška 4 (“hallway”).

A conservation procedure was performed on the described object for the needs of the museum exhibition. Therefore, no additional interventions are necessary. Security of the premises is taken care of.

good

Regular seasonal maintenance.

- Inventory Book of the Idrija Municipal Museum.

Mestni muzej Idrija

Miha Kosmač

20. 3. 2018

Never