Hundred-Year-Old Trousseau at Highland Village Museum

The Highland Village Museum/An Clachan Gàidhealach presents the Hundred-Year-Old Trousseau, an exhibition that features works by the Lake Ainslie Weavers Guild and friends. The exhibit runs until Oct. 20.

The Lake Ainslie Weavers Guild researched, collected and created replicas of handcrafted items that might have been found among hope-chest treasures and a bride's clothes -- her trousseau -- in 1901. Artists were paired with artifacts to create the items for the exhibition. The more than 90 pieces they produced include clothing, bedding and other housewares.

The exhibition is built around the trousseau of a fictional character, a young Cape Breton woman named Rachel Campbell. Viewers are asked to imagine being in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Campbell, where Rachel and her friends are brought together to enjoy a festive afternoon tea and to admire the contents of her hope chest and trousseau.

Curated by Virginia McCoy, the exhibition reveals the continuity of craft activity in a domestic setting over the intervening century. It is on display in the MacIver-Nash House at the museum.

Highland Village Museum is located in Iona, Victoria Co. It is open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 20. Admission is charged. Call 902-725-2272 for details.

The Highland Village Museum/An Clachan Gàidhealach is a living history museum and cultural centre focused on the Gaelic experience in Nova Scotia. It is a part of the Nova Scotia Museum family.