Russian Folk Ornamentation: Embroidery, Weaving and Lace
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Experiment 22 (2016) 178-198 EXPERIMENT ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТ brill.com/expt Russian Folk Ornamentation: Embroidery, Weaving and Lace Vladimir Stasov Introduction The unique forms and beauty of Russian ornamentation have finally gained the general attention that it has long been denied. At the present moment, not only in Russia, where in both public museums and private collections special sections dedicated to Russian folk ornamentation have been created, but also in Europe its elegant and original characteristics have begun to be valued. Meanwhile, objects that belong to daily folk life are disappearing from use more and more quickly every year, giving way to objects of the latest prov- enance and form, which, undoubtedly, conform better than previous ones to the convenience and needs of modern life, but at the same time lose the quali- ties they have inherited from previous eras of folk art: their unique original- ity, naiveté, and beauty. Now is therefore the time to gather and publish these objects: it is already too clear to any observer of folk life that in a few decades, or even years, the objects of daily folk life will completely disappear, without leaving a single trace of themselves behind. Keeping all that in mind, and appreciating all the importance of the serious study of Russian folk ornamentation for the formation and development of a national Russian art, the Society for the Encouragement of Artists has decided to put out a publication, the individual issues of which will include systemati- cally gathered and chosen examples of needlework, weaving, lacework, wood and bone carving, and the productions of metalwork, pottery, enamelwork, glasswork, etc. The first issue is dedicated to embroidery, weaving, and lacework. 1 The study of works of Russian folk art brings one to the conclusion that in needlework and weavings on linen the most multitudinous, most original, © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2�16 | doi 10.1163/2211730X-12341287 Russian Folk Ornamentation 179 most characteristic, and most significant remnants of national Russian artistry have been preserved. On towels, sheets, pillowcases, shirts, aprons, women’s headdresses, etc., that is, on objects of the most frequent and widespread use in general, on objects, one can say, that were practically inseparable from the ancient Russian person from morning to evening, from evening to morn- ing, at home in the hut and at work in the field, on work days and on holi- days, present during the rites at the beginning and end of life for everyone, at weddings and at ceremonies—in a word, always and everywhere—on these objects could be clearly seen both artistic tastes and religious conceptions, as well as the whole naïve mentality of fantasy, scheming considerations, clever calculations, adaptations, and an adroit combination of the various compo- nent parts. If we look at Russian folk designs from the purely artistic, esthetic point of view, then it is impossible not to find there curious and tasteful examples of such a play of line, such a masterful management of the design itself and of the intermediate background spaces, which testify to a very significant artistic sense and experience, and must provide a valuable guide and advice to our modern artist when he wishes to create in the sphere and in the character of folk art. It is impossible not to follow, with particular interest, step-by-step along the designs of a towel, sheet, or headdress, seeing how the first creators of the design always put—it is obvious—the main, central figure forward, or how, when the task or story required it, the main row of figures, and then filled in all the remaining spaces with carefully chosen forms that had a sec- ondary significance in the religious or artistic respect, but which were closely related to the main story, and in the technical respect masterfully and care- fully conformed within the given space. At the same time, the harmonious equilibrium and constant conformity between the colored spaces occupied by stitchwork and the white strips of the canvas that remain empty is truly stunning, and cannot fail to arrest the artist’s attention: the more taste he has, the more his eye is educated, the more he will be conscious of the remarkable qualities of our ancient needlework. But besides this, thus far still external side of its elegance and interest for the eye, Russian needlework presents many other curious and important ele- ments. Here we have precious and as yet still untouched materials for study from various directions of the ancient Russian nation in general, and it is pre- cisely this that we consider essential to outline in brief. The current publication did not have the opportunity to present all the Russian embroidery that contains something important or curious—the material is too enormous—but even the examples gathered here contain no lack of significant facts. Experiment 22 (2016) 178-198.