Ledenik/Ledenjak headpiece from Belgrade, Serbia, 19th century. Besides the vicinity of Belgrade, they were also worn by the Serbian women in Podunavlje and Sirinićka župa.
The ledenik headpieces worn by girls from Mokri Lug and Banjica represent a specific combination of Central Balkan and Slavic types of headgear. The ledenik has the form of a towel-like cloth with a border decoration made of small metal ornaments with flowers. This headpiece was worn by a girl who had reached marriageable age, and women could continue wearing it after marriage until the birth of their first child as a status symbol, since a considerable number of coins were required to make such a headpiece.
Illustration by Carol Pop de Szathamari, Photo of the headdress from the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade
