Archive
2013 year, issue 3 read »
The Ethnology Notebooks. 2021. #2 (158). P. 253–502 DOI... read »
2011 year, issue 4 read »
2012 year, issue 5 read »

« 2024. # 5 (179)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2024. № 5 (179), 1258—1294

UDK 738.8 (477) “18/19”

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

THE COLLECTION OF PYSANKY (EASTER EGGS) AT THE MUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY AND CRAFTS: SPECIFICITY OF DECOR

IVASHKIV Halyna

  • ORCID ID: htps: // orcid.org/0000-0003-2359-6735
  • Doctor of Sciences in Art Criticism, Senior Scholar,
  • at the Ethnology Institute
  • at the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
  • Folk Art Department,
  • at the Museum of Ethnography, Arts and Crafts
  • 15, Svoboda Ave., 79000, Lviv, Ukraine
  • Contacts: e-mail: halynaivashkiv@ukr.net

Abstract. The research into a collection of Easter eggs at the Museum of Ethnography and Crafts at the Ethnology Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (MEC) proves to be topical, since it has never been examined before.

Therefore, the article aims to perform an art critical analysis of peculiarities of Easter egg dйcor at MEC.

The object of this research involves pysanky from various regions in Ukraine, and the subject is the activity of Easter egg makers as well as artistic specificity of their works. Methodologically, the article is based on the principle of systematicity, historism and comparativity through the use of cultural and historical as well as comparative and typological methods.

The given article analyzes dйcor of the pysanky dating back to the late 19th — first half of the 20th cc. from many historical and ethnographical regions: Opillia, Podillia, Middle Naddniprianshchyna, Volyn, Polissia, Hutsulshchyna, Pokuttia, Boikivshchyna, Bukovyna, Nadsiannia, Pidliashshia, Lemkivshchyna and Kholmshchyna. Types of painted Easter eggs include those created with wax and a special stylus. The dйcor of such eggs represents major geometrical motifs (e.g. solar signs, dots, twisted lines, triangles, rhombuses, signs of infinity and crosses), vegetative motifs (a leaf, a flower, a branch and a flowerpot), as well zoomorphic ones (depicting animals, fish and birds). Some Easter eggs have their author’s signature or inscriptions with Easter greetings, fragments of prayers etc.

A small number of Easter eggs dates back to the late 19th c. — the item from Ostriv (Podillia region) is the oldest one (1882). This egg is decorated with the motif of «a windmill». A pysanka with crosses from Hutsulshchyna, namely Moskalivka has 1890 inscribed on it, whereas the Easter egg from Slobidka (Podillia) has the inscription «Christ has risen. 1891» alongside with «chain» motifs. The 1894 Easter eggs from Volyn are characterized by two fields and relatively big images of birds and animals. A group of eggs dating back to the early 20th c. till the 1930 s proves to be the most numerous one. Vegetative motifs (namely «viburnum leaves», branches and roses) prevail in the dйcor of Easter eggs from Volyn (1907).

A pysanka from Hermakivka (Podillia) refers to 1930. Inventory books have information about some items of 1939. The research is based on numerous sources, in particular the Easter eggs that are kept at MEC, the Museum’s inventory books, scientific and popular books, albums and archive materials.

Keywords: pysanka (Easter egg), Easter egg makers, a collection in the fund, inventory books, the division of a pysanka into fields, paints, decorative specificity.

Received 28.10.2024

REFERENCES

  • Kulish, P. (2015) The Notes on Southern Rus: In 2 books. In Kulish P. Scholarly works. Publicistic works, book 2. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hoberman, D. N. (1979) Around Hutsulshchyna. Leningrad [in Russian].
  • Shukhevych, V. (1999) Hutsulshchyna. Part 4, 2nd ed. Verkhovyna [in Ukrainian].
  • Skoryk, M. (1934) Boikivshchyna Easter Eggs (An Essay). The Chronicle of Boikivshchyna. (Part. 4, pp. 20—28, 5 ill.). Sambir [in Ukrainian].
  • Krиek, F. (1898) Pysanky in Halychyna. The People. T. 4. Lwow [in Polish].
  • Malorussian Folk Legends and Short Stories. Collected by M. Drahomanov. (1876) Kyiv [in Russian].
  • Shevchenko, T. (2001) The Princess. A Poem. In Taras Shevchenko. Poetry. 1847—1861. Vol. 2. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Easter Eggs. Collected and Compiled by V. Mytsyk. Painted by O. Fysun. (1992) Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hela, S. (1974) Kyiv Earthenware Easter Eggs. Our Life. № 4. April, (pp. 6—9) [in Ukrainian].
  • Stankevych, M. (1992) The Art of Easter Egg Painting. In Antonovych, Ye. А., Zakharchuk-Chuhai, R. V., Stankevych, M. Ye. Decorative and Applied Art (pp. 217—219). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Boplan, G. L. de. (1990) The Description of Ukraine and Several Provinces of the Polish Kingdom that Stretch from the Borders of Moskovia till Transilvania, Together with Their Customs, Everyday Life and Methods of War. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Sumtsov, M. Easter Eggs. Kyiv Old Things. Kyiv, 1891. May (pp. 181—209); June (pp. 363—383) [in Russian].
  • Volkov, F. K. (1878) Distinguishing Features of Southern Rus Folk Ornaments. In The Works of the 3rd Archaeological Congress in Kyiv. Vol. 2 (pp. 317—326). Kyiv [in Russian].
  • Ukrainian Ornament. Embroidery, Fabric and Easter Eggs (Collected and Systematized by Olga P. Kosacheva) (1876) Kyiv [In Russian].
  • Litvinova, P. (1878) Southern Rus Ornament: [An Album of Embroideries, Fabrics and Easter Eggs]. Kyiv [in Russian].
  • Kolberg, O. (1882) Pokuttia. The Ethnographical Image. Vol. 1. Krakуw [in Polish].
  • The Patterns of Crafts. Italian works in Rus. (1889) Lwуw, series 10 [in Polish].
  • Korduba, M. (1899) Easter Eggs in Halychyna Volyn. In Materials of Ukrainian and Rus Ethnology / Ed. By Kh. Vovk. Vol. 1 (p. 169—210). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • A Description of the Collection of Folk Easter Eggs from Lubny Museum by E. N. Skarzhynskaia: an Album of 33 Chromolithographic and 12 Black Tables (2219 Drawings in Total) (1899). Compiled by S. K. Kulzhynskiy. Vol. 1. Moscow [in Russian].
  • Sokalski, B. (1899) Sokal District. Lviv [in Polish].
  • Shcherbakivskyi, V. (1925) Major Elements of the Origin of Easter Egg Ornamentation and the Origin of Easter Eggs. Prague [in Ukrainian].
  • Ivashkiv, H. (1999) Vadym Shcherbakivskyi and his study «Major Elements of the Origin of Easter Egg Ornamentation and the Origin of Easter Eggs» In Ukrainian Studies: Documents, Materials, and Rarities (pp. 219—278). Ivano-Frankivsk [in Ukrainian].
  • Sydorowycz, S. (1927) Ukrainian Easter Eggs. Early Historical Easter Eggs. Hand-Made. A Yearly (pp. 20—49; 10 ill.). Warsaw [in Polish].
  • Krypiakevych, I. (2001) Memoirs (Autobiography). In Ukraine: Cultural Heritage, National Conscience, and Statehood. Issue 8: Ivan Krypiakevych in the Family Tradition, Science and Society (pp. 75—140). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hurhula, I. (1929) Easter Eggs from East Halychyna and Bukovyna in the Collection of the National Museum in Lviv. In Materials on Ethnology and Anthropology. Vol. 21—22, part 1 (pp. 131—156; 2 ill.). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Taranushenko, S. (1929) Ukrainian Easter Eggs as Monuments of Folk Painting (Preliminary Considerations). In Scholarly Papers: The Papers of the Research Department of The History of European Culture. Vol. 3 (pp. 449—457). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Ukrainian Easter Eggs. (1968). Introduction, Water Colours and Edited by E. Biniashevskyi. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Yelyiv, Z. (1994) Twenty Dozen Easter Eggs. Rochester; New York [in Ukrainian].
  • Manko, V. (2005) 1464 Samples of Ukrainian Easter Eggs. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Manko, V. (2008) Ukrainian Folk Easter Egg. A Popular Edition. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • A Directory of the Funds of the Ukrainian State Museum of Ethnography and Crafts at the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. (1956). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Sukha, L. M. (1968) Pysanka (The Easter Egg). In the Outline of the History of Ukrainian Decorative and Applied Art (Pp. 99—101). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hvozdevych, S. (1997) A Unique Collection of Easter Eggs at the Museum of Ethnography and Crafts. In Narodoznavchi Zoshyty, 3 (Pp. 205—206) [in Ukrainian].
  • Liashenko, O. (1996). Pysanka (The Easter Egg). In The Museum of Ethnography and Crafts at the Ethnology Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. A Guide (Pp. 54—55). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Pavliuk, S., Chmelyk, R. (2005) Treasures of the Museum of Ethnography and Crafts at the Ethnology Institute of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The Album. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Liashenko, O. H. (1987) Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In Hutsulshchyna. A Historical and Ethnographical Research (pp. 422—431). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Liashenko, O. H. (1983) Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In Boikivshchyna. A Historical and Ethnographical Research (pp. 295—297). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Liashenko, O. H. (1994) Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In Podillia. A Historical and Ethnographical Research (pp. 434—438). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Liashenko, O., Horbal, M. (2002) Pysanka (The Easter Egg). In Lemkivshchyna: in 2 volumes. Vol. 2: Intellectual Culture (pp. 317—329). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Oliynyk, O. (2020) Pysanka (The Easter Egg). In Ethnographical Groups of the Ukrainians in the Carpathians. The Hutsuls (pp. 324—334). Kharkiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Oliynyk, O. 2020 Pysanka (The Easter Egg). In Ethnographical Groups of the Ukrainians in the Carpathians. The Boiky (pp. 529—536). Kharkiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Oliynyk, O. 2020 Pysanka (The Easter Egg). In Ethnographical Groups of the Ukrainians in the Carpathians. The Lemkos (pp. 303—310). Kharkiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Dowgird, T. (1890) Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In Wisіa. Vol. 4 (p. 824) [in Polish].
  • Fischer, W. (1922) Pysanky (Easter Eggs) in Hutsulshchyna. The Land (p. 136) [in Polish].
  • Horniatkevych, D. (1930—1931) The Role of the Woman in Development of Ukrainian Folk Art. In Nova Khata. (1930) Part 7—8, 9, 10, 11, 12. (1931) Part 4, 5, 6. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hurhula, I. (1930) The Role of the Woman in Preserving Folk Art. In Nova Khata, part 1 (pp. 4—5). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Inventory Books of the Museum of Taras Shevchenko Scholarly Society [in Ukrainian].
  • Sydorovych, S. Ukrainian Folk Easter Eggs and the Use of Their Ornamentation in Modern Decorative Art. The Department of Manuscripts at Vasyl Stefanyk Lviv National Scientific Library. Fund 317. Folder 20 [in Ukrainian].
  • Onyshchuk, О. (1994) How to Make Paints from Plants. In Pysanka. №1 (p. 9) [in Ukrainian].
  • Voropay, O. (1993) Customs of Our People. An Ethnographical Outline. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Kara-Vasylieva, T, Karabovych, T. (1997) Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In Kholmshchyna and Pidliashshia. A Historical and Ethnographical Research (pp. 270—279). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • P. K. (1913) How Pysanky (Easter Eggs) Are Made. In Siayvo. № 4. April (p. 118) [in Ukrainian].
  • Painted Earthenware of Kosiv and Pistyn in the 19th — Early 20th cc. / Introduction by H. Ivashkiv / Ed. by H. Ivashkiv and T. Lozynskyi. (2012) Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hurhula, I. (1928) Customs and Beliefs Associated with Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In Nova Khata. № 4 (p. 4) [in Ukrainian].
  • Tarnovych, Yu. (1941) Lemkivshchyna. Material Culture. Krakow [in Ukrainian].
  • Markovych, P. (1972) Ukrainian Easter Eggs of East Slovakia In The Scholarly Papers of the Museum of Ukrainian Culture in Svydnyk. № 6. Book 2. Bratislava [in Ukrainian].
  • Smoliy, Yu. (2009) Easter Egg Making. In The History of Ukrainian Decorative Art. The Art of the 19th c. Vol. 3 (pp. 191—203). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Ivashkiv, H. (2007) The Dйcor of Ukrainian Folk Earthenware of the 16th — first half of the 20th cc. Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Kolberg, Oskar. (1890) Cheіm Province. The Ethnographical Image. Krakуw [in Polish].
  • Kobilnyk, V. (1937). Material Culture of the Village Zhukotyn in Turka Province. The Chronicle of Boikivshchyna. Part. 9 (pp. 76—115). Sambir [in Ukrainian].
  • Lastivka, K. (1932) Easter Egg Ornaments in Bukovyna Pidhiria. In Nova Khata. № 5 (Pp. 2—3; ill. 4) [in Ukrainian].
  • Maksymovych, M. (2002) Days and Months of a Ukrainian Peasant. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Yastrebov, V. (1895) A Few Words about Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In Kyiv Old Things. Vol. 49. April (P. 5—8) [in Russian].
  • Wolski, Z., Dowgird, T. (1889) Pysanky (Easter Eggs). In A Weekly. Vol. 13 (Pp. 235—237) [in Polish].
  • Yaniv, V. (1993) Ukrainian Character and Our Upbringing Ideal. In The Outline of the History of Ukrainian Ethno-Psychology. Munich [in Ukrainian].
  • Kostomarov, M. (1999) Two Rus People. In The Ukrainian Press. An Anthology. Lviv. Vol. 1 (pp. 163—176) [in Ukrainian].
  • Bulashev, H. (1992) Ukrainian People in Their Legends, Religion and Beliefs. Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Ivashkiv, H. (2000) The Motif of “a Flowerpot” in Ukrainian Folk Earthenware of the 16th  — first half of the 20th cc. In Narodoznavchi Zoshyty. № 5 (pp. 860—889) [in Ukrainian].
  • Selivachov, M. (1994) Ornamentation. Podillia. A Historical and Ethnographical Research. Kyiv, pp. 465-484 [in Ukrainian]
Our authors
Olena Nykorak. Senior Researcher, Doctor of Arts read »
Ulana Movna. Senior Research Fellow, Ph.D. in History. read »
Roman Radovych. Researcher, Ph.D. in History. read »
Stepan Pavluk. Prof., full member of NAS of Ukraine,... read »
Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »

Daily bread baking of ukrainians in the south-western ethnographical region at the late XIX to early XXI cc.
The paper has dealt with analytic study in prescriptions, signs, customs, methods, ways of selection, procurement and some peculiarities in usage of subsidiary means — water, firewood and leaves in bread baking. The final aim of the mentioned actions had been (and still is) selection of the means and ingredients fit, by their characteristics, for the backing of bread. The paper has demonstrated dependence of bread backing subsi­diary means criteria from the folk nutritional standards and world outlook stereotypes as well as from regional social and economic, natural and geographical factors and peculiarities of material culture.
Read »

Wax candle as ukrainian Christmas and epiphany ritualistic text
For the first time in native ethnology the article has brought some results of special study in sign functionality of a wax candle under the context of Ukrainian Christmas and Epiphany ritualistic text (ritualism of Christmas Eve, New Year, Epiphany Eve and Feast of Epiphany). The study has stated extremely high semiotic position of a wax candle as projection of Sun, mediator between the spheres of sacral and prophane elements, symbolic analogue of human existence, apotropy, cultural symbol re-establishing borders of acculturated space.
Read »

On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »