Ornamenting

EMBROIDERY, VIRTUE AND SKILL, EVER SINCE THE ANCIENT TIMES
Cyrillic Golden Threads
The exhibition opened in the Museum of Vuk and Dositej helped us take a more careful peek into the trunk and revise our knowledge. Embroidered initials and miniatures from Miroslav’s Gospel, lectures about the medieval embroidery skills, inspiration drawn from it by present fashion design, embroidered, not written, literary masterpieces, workshops for children and adults, where you imperceptibly ”step into the drop and seed”… All that, covered with a veil of old music, gently yet strongly reminded us who we are and what we’re made of

By: Gordana Simeunović and NR Press
Photo: Milena Smiljanić (”Artis Center”)

In the Museum of Vuk and Dositej in Belgrade, within the International Museum Day and ”Museums for 10” event, in the second half of May, the Cyrillic Golden Threads exhibition was open for visitors. Based on the collections of embroideries ”Beo-Ethno Visions”, the exhibition was organized by ”Artis Center” from Belgrade, and authors Tamara Ognjević and Vera Avlijaš. So, after several European cities, Belgrade had the opportunity to ”peek into this magical trunk”.
The presented works are a unique merger of embroidery and calligraphy. Visitors could see initials and miniatures from medieval Serbian manuscript books, created in embroidery and golden embroidery technique. Standing in luxurious shining frames, they seem to be in their special houses. It is difficult to turn your eyes and thoughts away from that beauty. Initials are ornamented with several entangled stripes or leaves, animals, mythical creatures, human images, masks. Initial V, among the most frequent ones, represented in the form of a Young man killing a basilisk, Wolf hunter and Babylon harlots. Initial P, given in the form of two birds whose beaks are touching. The national museum of Serbia has been using it as its logo for decades.
Most of the embroidered initials seen at this exhibition was taken over from Miroslav’s Gospel, the most famous Serbian medieval handwritten liturgical book created in the late XII century for Humic prince Miroslav, brother of grand prince Stefan Nemanja, forefather of the Nemanjić dynasty. That book is an important monument of Serbian literacy and culture. It was written on parchment, in Cyrillic letters, with numerous miniatures and initials drawn by quill and painted with a brush. In the Middle Ages, artists used only colors of floral origin, so the miniatures were painted in red, green, yellow and white, and later ornamented with gold.
Students of several elementary and middle schools were among the visitors of this exhibition. At the time we were there, students of the School of Mechanical Engineering ”Radoje Dakić” were visiting.
– People come to museums for experiences. That is why interaction with visitors is important. Cultural heritage needs people to stay alive. This interactive exhibition is the crown of many years of researching our past and tradition – says Tamara Ognjević, art historian and co-author of this exhibition. – You know that a project related to cultural heritage and art is well designed and successfully realized only when you see teenagers coming to the exhibition. And not only coming, but also having a nice chat with you, asking many questions and being ready to indicate what else they’d love to see and hear. Then you know that you passed on the love towards heritage to the generation whose time is coming.

EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP

An embroidery workshop was organized as an accompanying part of the exhibition from May 15 to 17, in the Museum of Vuk and Dositej Fireplace. It was held by Vera Avlijaš, Nataša Cvejić and Vesna Stojanović. The Fireplace resembled a loud medieval palace. Workshop students chose an initial to stitch. The had all necessary material at their disposal: colorful threads, large and small needles, scissors, frames, golden and silver threads. A ”group of joyful ladies” gathered in no time.
– Live emotions were vibrating in the Fireplace – describes Tamara Ognjević. – All those who experienced the almost magical power of cultural heritage know what it looks like, and these days we have been dealing with the golden Middle Ages, an ancient artistic skill and a living sanctity: Miroslav’s Gospel. All that together rises people from languor and hopelessness like a spring of miracle-working water. It brought us lots of joy in a very difficult moment.
One of the participants was Milka Aklim Kosanović, academic sculptor.
– The blessing of handiwork is recognized by creators, hence it is my great pleasure to add another skill to my interests, while perfection will come in time, through work – she says. – I have been thinking for a long time how nice it would be to learn traditional skills and values, including embroidery, and through it weave the finest thoughts about peace, spirit, God. For us today, as we are, this is increasingly important. The Cyrillic Golden Threads event additionally initiated me to believe in preserving the soul through work, to find inner peace in this cold and excessively speedy time, born only from patience and harmony with nature.
Ivana Seratlić works in the financial sector. She came to the embroidery workshop ”searching for something beautiful and creative”.
Milka Prokić is professor of Spanish language. Her impressions are pleasant too:
– I simply love handicrafts and I think there should be more such workshops.

EMBROIDERY THROUGH TIME

The audience was attracted to several lectures within the Cyrillic Golden Threads. Most of them, of course, were women. There were so many of them that the museum staff had to bring more chairs.
Prayer Embroidered with Gold (About Embroidery in Medieval Serbia) is the title of the lecture held by Tamara Ognjević. She spoke about the history of embroidery, about medieval customs, the way people lived and died, prayed and practiced asceticism. Through all that, she weaves a golden thread, ”sifts pure gold”.
We discovered that people had a strict dress code in the Middle Ages. Aristocratic women who had plenty of free time were engaged in embroidery, since stitching is a skill which, besides dedication and patience, also requests time. Poor women, fighting for survival, didn’t have it.
– After their hard labor in the field, they could weave. In the Middle Ages, spinstresses had the right to bring their products to the market for sale. They were specially protected in Dušan’s Code. In Desanka Maksimović’s famous book of poetry I Seek Forgiveness, ”lyrical discussions with Dušan’s Code”, already the third poem after the introductory ”Proclamation” is ”About the Poor Spinstress”: ”… No one / should dare / strike at her home / since God’s mercy / first protects the imperial palace / and the poor spinstresses’ huts.
Embroidery always sought and brought peace, meant emerging and consolation, healed pain. With embroidery, women waited for good news, return of warriors, drove away all pains of the soul. The most refined prayers were whispered and songs sung with embroidery.
– Even today, embroidery soothes and heals like a balm. Prayer is very frequent in embroidery, and a stitch called crossing symbolically testifies about it. The most beautiful shapes and ornaments on textile were created from a myriad of tiny embroidered crosses.
Ivana Tomić, PhD, held the lecture Tradition through the Prism of Fashion Design, intended for high school and university students. Serbian cultural heritage was recognized in the world of creative industry and within the ”Erasmus” international Fashioration project. It was very interestingly connected with this lecture in the Cyrillic Golden Threads, in the Museum of Vuk and Dositej.
On the last day of May, the exhibition was closed with the concert of harpist Emilija Đorđević. Everything was covered with a veil of music inspired by the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Thus, we were woken and refreshed by this smart, beautiful and solidly based program. It embroidered us the truth that we are not Ruritania, that we shouldn’t go to Europe, since we’re already in it, that we shouldn’t become the world, we should remain the world. It reminded us that important truths about us are kept in trunks in our old houses, which we so easily abandon or destroy, betray. We should peek into the trunks, and the rest will come to light itself.

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Jefimija’s Embroidery
Our first poetess, sister Jefimija, is perhaps the most famous Serbian embroiderer. She was born as Jelena, daughter of aristocrat Vojihna, master of Drama and nephew of Emperor Dušan. Two of her artworks (”Inscription on the Chilandar Curtain” and ”Praise to Prince Lazar”) was embroidered mostly with gold and silver thread. The curtain, as well as ”Sorrow for Young Uglješa” (on a double wooden icon), are today kept in the Chilandar treasury, and ”Praise to Prince Lazar”, initially meant for Ravanica, is kept in the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade.
In memory of the first Serbian poetess, ”Jefimija’s Days” are held every year in Trstenik and Ljubostinja monastery, where the ”Jefimija’s Embroidery” poetry award is presented.

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Embroidered Freedom
In the Middle Ages, embroidery was even be a pledge for freedom. Folk legends mention Milja, an embroiderer who didn’t want to get married, but made a living from embroidery and even raised the Embroiderer’s Church. The village of Vezičevo, in which a woman gained her freedom with embroidery, is in the vicinity of Požarevac.

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Embroiderer’s Church
Embroidery and embroiderers are present, literally or symbolically, in church literature as well. We will take the opportunity to remind of a Serbian example. St. Nikolaj of Žiča and Ohrid entitled one of his books ”Embroiderer’s Church”, which includes many wise thoughts and insights about Serbian faith and nation.

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Programs for Children
Within the ”Cyrillic Golden Threads”, Vera Avlijaš held a workshop on painting ornaments intended for children aged five to twelve. The workshop was based on the coloring book ”Visual World of the Cyrillic Alphabet” (”Artis Center”, 2021). Children painted initials decorated with ornaments and answered riddles. Through the magic of playing, almost imperceptibly, they entered the mysterious codes of Serbian legends.