{"id":23219,"date":"2023-03-28T13:14:31","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T11:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitrijeka.hr\/morcic-rijecki-sreconosa\/"},"modified":"2023-06-27T14:52:43","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T12:52:43","slug":"morcic-rijekas-good-luck-charm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visitrijeka.hr\/en\/morcic-rijekas-good-luck-charm\/","title":{"rendered":"Mor\u010di\u0107 \u2013 Rijeka\u2019s good luck charm"},"content":{"rendered":"

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    explore.<\/strong><\/h3>\n <\/div>\n <\/li>\n <\/ul>\n \n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

    What a coin on a red ribbon or an elephant with its trunk raised represent in China or a smiling Buddha in India, a black Moor with a white turban represents in Rijeka, and thanks to its popularity amongst all social classes, it has been accepted as a Rijeka souvenir.
    \nWhat a coin on a red ribbon or an elephant with its trunk raised represent in China or a smiling Buddha in India, a black Moor with a white turban represents in Rijeka and thanks to its popularity amongst all social classes, it has been accepted as a Rijeka souvenir. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of this city, of its numerous activities and events, and especially of the International Rijeka Carnival of which it has been the official symbol and mascot since 1991. Mor\u010di\u0107 is a piece of original jewellery from Rijeka, Kvarner and Hrvatsko primorje, most frequently taking the form of earrings. Apart from its aesthetic and decorative function, it is also a sign of loyalty to the region. Earrings with the bust of a black Moor wearing a turban are today worn by 70% of the local women; regardless of their social status and nationality in the multiethnic Rijeka which boasts with as many as 22 national minorities. It is precisely this wide variety and melting pot of cultures that constitutes the greatest value of the city which will embrace anyone searching for a place to live, as well as a chance traveller and anyone pursuing happiness which, without doubt, no money can buy. However, you will agree that nobody has everything he needs, not only referring to the material, but primarily to one\u2019s piece of mind. Our Nobel prize winner, Ivo Andri\u0107, once wrote that \u201cit is strange how little we need to be happy, and even stranger how that little always manages to elude us\u201d. Dear reader, maybe you will find this missing \u201clittle thing\u201d in Rijeka’s Mor\u010di\u0107 as it is our good luck charm.<\/p>\n

    It came from a legend<\/strong>
    \nApart from being a symbol of the history and tradition of our ancestors and skilful goldsmith\u2019s hands, Mor\u010di\u0107 is also a symbol spreading positive energy. Keeping it close, it brings us optimism and guarantees our wishes coming true, our serenity, the protection from our enemies and from all the forces of evil. The Mor\u010di\u0107 earring was once worn by men as well, especially fishermen and their only sons. Even today it often decorates men’s ears, and is not at all unusual to find Mor\u010di\u0107 brooches, bracelets, rings and pins in the treasure boxes of almost every older Rijeka family. Due to its attractiveness and historical importance, Mor\u010di\u0107 has achieved enviable world fame getting a tourist flyer describing the importance of this popular symbol in 30 languages. Numerous stories have been told about the origins of Mor\u010di\u0107, numerous folk songs and legends have been sung, amongst which two enjoy the greatest popularity. The first is the legend of Zrinski, described by the renowned Rijeka archaeologist and art historian, Radmila Matej\u010di\u0107. It dates back to the 16th century when the Ottomans set up a camp in the Grobnik Field, threatening to attack Rijeka. A nobleman, Zrinski, shot an arrow from Gradina (Castle) in the vicinity of Jelenje which hit the Ottoman pasha in the temple, after which his army dispersed. According to Matej\u010di\u0107, during this period of Ottoman occupation, the people of Rijeka looked to the sky and prayed to God to throw stones and kill all the Ottomans. This is exactly what happened when they tried to run away: stones covered the Ottomans up to their necks, with only their turbans remaining in the field. In memory of this event, Rijeka\u2019s men put earrings shaped like a head with a turban in their wives\u2019 ears. The second legend originates from Pelje\u0161ac and says that an Italian countess had a black slave she really liked. She gave her freedom and to remind her of the girl, she ordered the earrings bearing her image to be made. Mor\u010di\u0107\u2019s creation was largely influenced by Venice which, in the 17th and 18th centuries, was obsessed with the Orient. Apart from using eastern spices, perfumes, fabrics, clothes and jewellery, the rich Venetian patricians introduced pages and servants in their chambers \u2013 black Moors in Oriental clothes. This inspired numerous Venetian goldsmiths to begin creating decorative pins in the form of a black Moor with a turban, a golden bust, richly decorated with precious stones, known as a \u201cmoretto\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    From the hands of experienced masters<\/strong>
    \nAt the same time Mor\u010di\u0107 was created in Rijeka, a more modest version of the \u201cVenetian moretto\u201d. Due to its specific appearance, masterful craftsmanship and acceptable price, Mor\u010di\u0107 became a part of the traditional women\u2019s popular jewellery, primarily of the women from Rijeka. The last moretto maker, Raul Rolandi, lived in Rijeka until late 1940s and it is thanks to the models and sketches from his workshop, obtained for the cultural and historical collection of the Rijeka Maritime and Historical Museum of Hrvatsko primorje, that we now know how Mor\u010di\u0107 was made. The model for the Mor\u010di\u0107\u2019s frame is made in the positive and then impressed onto a cuttlefish bone so as to obtain a negative into which melted gold is cast. When the gold hardens, a golden positive is obtained. Its surface is chiselled out by files and knifes to allow the enamel crushed into tiny fine dust to adhere to it. The dust is then put into nitric acid for around two hours and washed and dried afterwards. The enamel is mixed with a drop of water on a piece of glass and this mixture is then placed on the golden frame using a needle. When the enamel is put onto the frame, the head is shaped, the areas for the ears impressed and the nose and the chin enhanced. Three gold spots remain uncovered and represent the eyes and the mouth. This model form is put into a small tin-oven shaped like a longitudinally cut cylinder and this, according to Radmila Matej\u010di\u0107 is rough enamelling. The \u201csecond fine enamelling\u201d is more precise, the finishing touches are put to the shapes of the head, the grooves are cleaned, any holes in the enamel are closed and finally the nose is shaped and the black dots on the white turban added. The model prepared in this fashion is put into the oven again and when it is complete, the gold turns black and the whole Mor\u010di\u0107 is put into a light solution of hydrochloric acid to make it white. After washing it, Mor\u010di\u0107 has to be cleaned with fine files and finished by polishing using brushes. \u201cEven today Mor\u010di\u0107 is handmade, although a more advanced technology is used, significantly simplifying the entire procedure\u201d, says one of the most renowned Rijeka masters, Ton\u010di Grabu\u0161i\u0107, who adds that it is precisely the technological development that made this good luck charm available to everyone. The owners of the oldest private gallery in Croatia, Mala galerija Bruketa located in the old city centre, have been making this souvenir using the original ceramic processing technique. They heat up Mor\u010di\u0107 twice at the temperature of 1000\u00b0C and then additionally decorate it with real gilt at the temperature of 690\u00b0C. They have also prepared for their buyers a certificate that has been translated into more than 30 languages. Although the procedure of production of both souvenirs and jewellery requires exceptional skill, patience and precision, owing to its price Mor\u010di\u0107 is available to everyone, because Rijeka\u2019s masters and artists are aware that happiness cannot be bought; the source of our happiness lies in subjective characteristics: a noble character, an adventurous spirit, a happy temperament, a cheerful mind and a healthy body. And Mor\u010di\u0107 is precisely a symbol of all that; it represents Rijeka\u2019s open heart.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

    <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What a coin on a red ribbon or an elephant with its trunk raised represent in China or a smiling Buddha in India, a black Moor with a white turban represents in Rijeka, and thanks to its popularity amongst all social classes, it has been accepted as a Rijeka souvenir. What a coin on a red ribbon or an elephant…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[286],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMor\u010di\u0107 \u2013 Rijeka\u2019s good luck charm - Visit Rijeka<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/visitrijeka.hr\/en\/morcic-rijekas-good-luck-charm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mor\u010di\u0107 \u2013 Rijeka\u2019s good luck charm - Visit Rijeka\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What a coin on a red ribbon or an elephant with its trunk raised represent in China or a smiling Buddha in India, a black Moor with a white turban represents in Rijeka, and thanks to its popularity amongst all social classes, it has been accepted as a Rijeka souvenir. 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