Like any ancient folk art, the ornament has its roots. This skill conveys the true soul of the people. It draws a historical line that reveals the national mentality. So what is real ornamental art?
What is an ornament
We come across the word “ornament” quite often and usually think that we perfectly understand its meaning. But it turns out that everything is not so simple. Of course, an ornament is a drawing made in a special way on any surface. But where did the word come to us? It turns out that it comes from the Latin ornamentum, which means "decoration". Such a painting was widely used in ancient Russia to decorate clothes, weapons, household items, fabrics. Closest to this term, the original Russian word “pattern” nevertheless fits. In comparison, the ornament-drawing sounds almost in a scientific way, but it is precisely this phrase that best reflects the essence of the matter. In principle, the painting is a multiple repetition of one drawing in a special sequence.
Another thing is also interesting: in the West, ornament-drawing was not considered a separate work of art, rather it was attributed only to stylization. Meanwhile, in Russia until the mid-19th century, such patterns were not just the nature of jewelry, but also had a special mystical meaning.
For example, it was believed that certain ornamental designs on clothes were able to protect against evil spirits and bad events - hunger, enemies, wounds in battle or death ... Therefore, such patterns were performed with special care and accuracy. Even if the craftswomen did not quite understand the significance of the paintings they created, they repeated in detail what their predecessors had inherited.
Of course, drawings, ornaments, patterns - an integral part of the ancient Russian culture, many generations of Russians were brought up on them. The beginning of this art is rooted in antiquity, so long ago that it is simply impossible to say exactly when this skill was born.
The value of ornaments
Drawings, ornaments, patterns, especially those that came to us from antiquity, talk about the worldview, traditions of people of ancient eras. At the same time, everything was done so that ancient art was not a purely mechanical repetition of instructions. That is why, at the beginning of the last century, there was a tradition of the so-called cheat codes. It consisted in the fact that the young craftswomen brought their work to the oldest needlewoman sat in special gatherings. Here, the girls spoke in detail about what their embroideries mean, passing, thus, a special "exam".
It is interesting that the geometric ornament-drawing of those times could have a completely unexpected meaning for modern man. In particular, one of the most common symbols was the swastika! It was she who was considered a sign of development, fertility, a symbol of natural cycles.
Today, solid "Hitlerism" on ancient ornaments can simply shock many. But the energy potential of this sign is very high. So, as they say, you won’t erase words from a song!
Ornaments and drawings on the dishes. Khokhloma
In ancient times, in the Lower Volga region, a tradition appeared to paint wooden dishes with intricate patterns . At first, the craftsmen made bowls, mugs and spoons from alder. Then the dishes were processed in a special way, painted with ornaments and hardened in an oven. So the famous Russian Khokhloma appeared. Its “highlight” is that when hardening the utensils and patterns on it acquired a special golden sheen, which gave the wooden products an unusual festive and expensive appearance.
In our time, Khokhloma, especially made by craftsmen in the Russian outback, is very much appreciated in the world market. Buyers from far-flung countries praise the masterpieces of Russian applied art.
Ukrainian ornament, drawings and patterns
The traditions of Ukrainian ornamentation are also rooted in antiquity. Usually used as the basis of the walls of houses, dishes and other objects. At the same time, the ornament contained pagan symbols that have a special sacred meaning. In this sense, amulets acquired special interest - painted with special protective patterns, the exact meaning of which only a few knew.
Over time, however, not only protective crafts, but also other objects began to be painted with patterns.
Symbols of Ukrainian ornament
The main symbols on such decorations were images of the sun and water. And this is no coincidence. The sun was considered a symbol of man. Water, like a mother to all living things - women. It is these two components that can give the world a new life. That is why giving such an ornament was considered a desire to find a soul mate or to strengthen the existing family with the birth of a child.
If we talk about the Ukrainian ornament, the drawings have always been made very symbolic. Of great importance was the image of birds. These images symbolized the human soul. But doves or falcons in Ukrainian ornaments mean lovers, ready to create a couple.
Petrikovskaya painting
Petrikov painting is one of the most famous and widespread types of Ukrainian ornamental art. Its name comes from the village of Petrikovka, Dnipropetrovsk region, where the most talented masters of this business were and are. They still keep ancient secrets.
"Petrikovka", as this type of art is called, is an example of decorative and ornamental folk painting. Once upon a time only walls of houses were painted like this, but over time, paying tribute to the new fashion and the wishes of customers, the masters began to decorate a variety of household accessories, in fact, turning them into decor items. So, Petrikov painting can be found on chests, folk musical instruments, rushnyks and blouses. Moreover, they even painted seeders and sledges!
I must say that Petrikov painting, like no other type of decorative art, reflected the course of recent times. She began to be widely used in body art. This trend has spread in the form of a special art school with its masters and traditions.
In addition, we have now managed to restore the technology for painting porcelain, glass, as well as many others, which at first glance are not suitable for ornaments.
In conclusion, I want to note that Russian and Ukrainian ornaments, although they have a number of features, generally reflect the single soul of the Slavic people - regardless of the country of residence of the masters.