EXHIBITION "CHRISTIANITY IN LITHUANIAN ART"
(28 December, 1999 - 31 December, 2003)

BANNERS 

The Folk Art Section of Lithuanian Art Museum stores 26 processional banners dating back to the second half of the 19th century; embroidered, painted and appliquèd. Embroidered processional banners have an exceptional status in the history of Lithuanian culture and reflect popular version of the late Baroque tradition. Most of processional banners contained in the Lithuanian Art Museum were acquired during art expeditions in Samogitia. Processional banners that need to be restored are commonly not used for ritual purposes of church.

Embroidery was widely spread in the 19th century. Though some of professional banners contain the dates of embroidery on them as well as the names of the donors who had donated banners to churches, yet the data is still lacking that would allow to identify the spread of banner embroidery techniques in Lithuania.

Processional banners were embroidered by nuns as well as layman needlewomen. The painted scenes of saint lives or their copies were imitated to use their motives for embroidery scenes. Local needlewoman simplified the motives following the main iconographic priciples yet interpreting them in popular manner. Processional banners were sewn of red, blue, green cashmere and embroidered by diverse stiching techniques using factory - produced bright coloured threads, golden threads, metal plates and decorated with glass beads. The central part of the banner will be taken by Christian scenes framed by embroidered wreaths of grapes, lilies, roses and other flowers. Embroidered figures of saints are mostly static representatives of their own type. The rules of perspective and proportions were not observed.

Lithuanian Art Museum houses processional banners of two sizes. Smaller size banners mostly depict the Passion of Christ cycle. One face of processional banner often contains embroidered motifs of Christian scenes while the other face would commonly depict the Christian symbols (crosses, sacred monograms, and others). Larger size processional banners contain embroidered Christian scenes on both faces.

Embroided processional banners, luxuriuos and ornamented, would naturally blend into the Baroque interior of Lithuanian provincial churces. Carried during church processions alongside with crosses and portable small shrines they would become a colourful and festive enhancement of church rituals.

Picture by Antanas Luksenas
Information of the Lithuanian Art Museum 

  © Lithuanian Art Museum, Fund of Samogitian Culture, Institute of Mathematics and Informatics 
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     Page updated 2011.08.12