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“Rushnik,” a towel. Ukranians

Title:

“Rushnik,” a towel

Ethnic groups:

Ukranians

Territory:

Russian Empire, Kherson province, Yelisavetgrad district

Date:

late 19th - early 20th century

Collectors-person:
Ryabkov Pavlo
Rubrics:

weaving

Material:

Cloth: calico; cloth: red bunting; cloth: linen; threads: cotton

Technique:

Embroidery

Dimensions:

length 183.0; width 44.0

Number:

РЭМ 2742-8

Annotation:

In 1910, the repository of the Ethnography Dept. of the Russian Museum received a collection gathered by Pavlo Ryabkov in 1909. The presented rushnik was brought among other articles typical for material culture of the Ukrainian, Moldavian, and Bulgarian population of Kherson Province. The rushnik is a towel of homespun or machine-made canvas used for household, decoration, or ritual purposes. For instance, they were hung along indoor walls in homes, and used to cover an icon in the God’s corner. At the betrothal, the young couple’s hands were tied with a rushnik; after a baby was born, the parents and godparents exchanged rushniks; and a rushnik was put into the coffin of a deceased person. As to the appearance and occurrence of this rushnik, Pavlo Ryabkov himself wrote, “All may be seen there: flowers, berries, birds, the most fantastic combinations of colors, patterns, fabrics, and embroidery techniques (cross stitch, satin stitch, hem stitch). Such pieces of work are more and more often seen in homes of townsfolk and peasants who came into some money. Icons, mirrors, and pictures are decorated with them.”