Croatia opens a bizarre new museum dedicated to ties – with exhibits including bulletproof ties and instructions on how to tie the most popular knots
Croatia has a museum of stuffed frogs, a museum of hangovers, a museum of broken relationships, and now a museum dedicated to the necktie.
The unique museum celebrates the office wear classic with Cravaticum – Museum Boutique of the Cravat, located in the country’s capital, Zagreb.
The exhibition opened in June and the concept is ‘to illustrate the historical significance of neckties’.
Croatia, we are told, is the ‘homeland of the cravat’. Cravaticum explains that the garment is about 400 years old, having been introduced to the world by Croatian soldiers in the 17th century.
The museum’s website states: ‘The story goes that the first ties were made by girls and women for their husbands who had left Croatia for the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). They predicted good luck and a safe return home.’
Croatia has a museum of stuffed frogs, a museum of hangovers, a museum of broken relationships, and now it has a museum in Zagreb dedicated to the necktie – Cravaticum, Museum Boutique of the Cravat
The museum shows the evolution of the tie over time
The museum shows the evolution of the tie through time in a 130 square meter space full of ‘works of art by contemporary local artists’.
These include the “immersive uniforms of a Cravat Regiment” – the term the French gave to Croatian soldiers because of the ties they wore – plus the designs of Juraj Zigman, a Croatian fashion designer who has worked with Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Rit UO, Cristina Aguilera, Cardi B and others.
In one room a tie made of bulletproof material is on display, in another room insight is given into the cocoons of silk moths and in yet another room explanation is given of how different knots are tied.
‘As the story of the tie spread around the world, who designed the tie as we know it today, how much silk is needed for one tie, how many ways you can tie it… and many more stories can be discovered in a unique exhibition at the museum,’ says Cravaticum.
The museum, located in the centre of Zagreb, offers insights into the cocoons of silk moths (above)
Igor Mladinović, one of the co-owners of the museum, notes: ‘Learning should be fun, especially for the younger generation. That’s why this museum is designed to share numerous facts and stories about ties in a fun and interactive way.’
Cravaticum is open daily from 10am to 8pm and is located in the centre of Zagreb.
Tickets cost €8 (£6.74/$8.71) for adults, €5 (£4.21/$5.44) for students, and are free for children aged seven and under. Visit: cravaticum.com/english.
