Beaded Decoration of Lemko’s Folk Costumes: A Historical Reconstruction of Ethnic Artistic Tradition

Author

Fedorchuk Olena

a Ph.D. in Art Criticism, a senior researcher, a D.Sc. aspirant at the Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4724-3566, Scopus Author ID: 57216853528

Beaded Decoration of Lemko’s Folk Costumes: A Historical Reconstruction of Ethnic Artistic Tradition

Abstract

The article deals with the gradual development of the ethnic artistic tradition of beaded decoration of the Lemko’s folk costumes. The reconstruction of the Lemko’s tradition was carried out for the first time. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that its results will contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of modern art. The scientific novelty lies in the detailed analysis of all-Ukrainian and local features of this tradition. The methodological basis of the research is a system-historical approach. Methods used are: collection and recording of information, comparative analysis of artifacts, reconstruction, and generalization.

The tradition of beaded decoration of Lemko’s folk costumes originated in the mid-XIXth century, and is now at the third stage of its development. At the first stage, during the second half of the XIXth century, the tradition was localized in the Eastern Lemkivshchyna region. Local craftswomen made overlay adornments from beads, mainly applying the technique of beading. Geometric motifs prevailed in ornamentation. A notable feature of Lemko’s art works was colouring, where different shades of red colour (background and motifs) dominated. At the second stage, during the first half of the XXth century, the technique of beadwork became widespread, which was used throughout the Lemko’s region to decorate components of the ensemble of clothing. Novel works were korset (bodice), waistcoat and apron made of velvet, on which phytomorphic compositions were embroidered with beads, coral scraps, and bugles. The third stage began in the mid-XXth century. with the slackening of artistic practices. In the 1980s, there was an actualization of the tradition, the number of craftswomen increased, new creative solutions appeared, and a new artistic paradigm was formed.

Keywords

Lemkivshchyna, ethnic artistic tradition, stages of ethnic artistic tradition, beaded decor of folk costumes.

References

1. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine’s Institute of Ethnology’s Archives: f.1, inv.2, u.i. 636, folios 1–52: FEDORCHUK, O. S. West Podillia (Field Materials Collected in Ternopil Region on June 3–16, 2011) [in Ukrainian].
2. BUDZAN, Antin. Beadwork. Folk Art and Ethnography, 1976, 1, 80–85 [in Ukrainian].
3. VROCHYNSKA, Hanna. Ukrainian Folk Women’s Jewellery of the 19th– Early 20th Centuries. Kyiv: Genealogy, 2007 [in Ukrainian].
4. ZHAYVORONOK, Vitaliy. Signs of Ukrainian Ethno-Culture:A Dictionary – Reference Book. Kyiv: Trust, 2006 [in Ukrainian].
5. ZAKHARCHUK-CHUHAY, Rayisa. Embroidery. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, Lemkivshchyna: A Historical and Ethnographical Study: in TwoVolumes. Vol. 2: Spiritual Culture. Lviv: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine’s Institute of Ethnology, 2002, pp.256–273 [in Ukrainian].
6. Transcarpathian Museum of Folk Architecture and Customs in Uzhhorod. Inv. No. 1025.
7. Transcarpathian Regional Museum of Regional Studies in Uzhhorod. Ethnographic Collection no. 2665 and no. 1348.
8. Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. A Photography Collection of the Institute’s Library. Nos. 11715, 11751.
9. Museum of Ethnography and Arts and Crafts of the Institute of Ethnology (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) (Lviv). Book entry № 70360, 74940.
10. Museum of Folk Architecture and Life (Lviv). Inv. No. ЕП12764.
11. National Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art Museum (Kyiv). Embroidery no. 2272.
12. The Official Site of the Museum Complex Lemko’sVillage. Avalable from: http://kultodate.gov.ua/музейний-комплекс-лемківське-село/ [in Ukrainian].
13. STELMASHCHUK, Halyna, H. KHUDYK, D. DMYTRYKIV. Clothing. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, Lemkivshchyna: A Historical and Ethnographical Study: in TwoVolumes. Vol. 1: MaterialCulture. Lviv: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine’s Institute of Ethnology, 1999, pp.324–346 [in Ukrainian].
14. TARNOVYCH, Yulian. Lemkivshchyna. Material Culture. Cracow: Ukrainian Publishing House, 1941 [in Ukrainian].
15. TKANKO, Zenoviya. Lemko’s Jewellery. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, Lemkivshchyna: A Historical and Ethnographical Study: in TwoVolumes. Vol. 2: Spiritual Culture. Lviv: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine’s Institute of Ethnology, 2002, pp.284–288 [in Ukrainian].
16. Ternopil Regional Museum of Regional Studies in Ternopil. A Collection of Textiles no. 7914.
17. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Ukrainian Folk bead Jewellery. Lviv: NAS of Ukraine’s Institute of Ethnology; Looking Glass, 2007 [in Ukrainian].
18. FEDORCHUK, Olena (). Beads in the Décor of Traditional Ukrainian Garments (Typology Issue). In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks,2012, no. 3 (105), pp. 452–468 [in Ukrainian].
19. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Typological and Artistic Peculiarities of Beaded Décor of the XIXth-CenturyBukovynian Folk Clothes. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks, 2013, no. 6 (114), pp. 1080–1086 [online]. Available from: http://nz.ethnology.lviv.ua/archiv/2013-6/18.pdf [in Ukrainian].
20. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Bukovynian Beaded Décor of Folk Clothes of the First Half of the XXth Century. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks,2014, no. 5 (119), pp. 984–997 [online]. Available from: http://nz.ethnology.lviv.ua/archiv/2014-5/21.pdf [in Ukrainian].
21. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Beadwork in the Artistic Structure of the Bukovynian Folk Clothing Ensemble in the Latter Part of the XXthto Early XXIstCentury. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks, 2014, no. 6 (120), pp. 1394–1404 [online]. Available from: http://nz.ethnology.lviv.ua/archiv/2014-6/30.pdf [in Ukrainian].
22. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Bead Components of the XIXth-Century West Podillian Garments. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks, 2015, no. 4 (124), pp. 841–849 [online]. Available from: http://nz.ethnology.lviv.ua/archiv/2015-4/14.pdf [in Ukrainian].
23. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Beaded Décor in the West Podillian Folk Costumes of the XXth to Early XXIstCentury. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks, 2016, no. 5 (131), pp. 1163–1177. Available from: http://nz.ethnology.lviv.ua/archiv/2016-5/19.pdf [in Ukrainian].
24. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Artistic Tradition of Beaded Decoration of the Pokuttian Folk Costumes. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks, 2017, no. 1 (133), pp. 188–202 [online]. Available from: doi.org/10.15407/nz2017.01.188 [in Ukrainian].
25. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Ethnic Art Tradition Concept of Beaded Decoration of the Ukrainian Folk Costumes (Pt. 1). In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks, 2017, no. 3 (135), pp. 566–578 [online]. Available from: doi.org/10.15407/nz2017.03.56 [in Ukrainian].
26. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Ethno-Artistic Tradition of Beaded Decoration of the Hutsul Folk Costumes. In: Stepan PAVLIUK, ed.‑in‑chief, The Ethnology Notebooks, 2017, no. 5 (137), pp. 1047–1071 [online]. Available from: doi.org/10.15407/nz2017.05.1047 [in Ukrainian].
27. FEDORCHUK, Olena. Ethnic Artistic Tradition as the Object of Ukrainian Ethnology. EtnoAntropologia, 2019, 2, 19–31 [online]. Available from: http://www.rivisteclueb.it/riviste/index.php/etnoantropologia [in English].
28. TURSKA, Jadwiga Polish Folk Embroidery. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo REA s. j., 1997 [in Polish].