Vestnorden Arts & Crafts 2004

Lithuania

Lithuania is a country, where a significant number of traditional folk crafts has been preserved. The most interesting traditional handicraft in Lithuania is the cross-crafting. The so-called cross-crafters build big wooden crosses or small shrines. The cross-crafter himself, or another master, so-called god-maker, carves the wooden statues of Christ, saint guardians and angels and put them into the monuments. Only during the later part of the twentieth century the masters started carving also the secular subjects side by side with the old purely religious sculptures, using the same technique and compositional schemes of the religious work. Cross-crafting and its Symbolism in Lithuania" was proclaimed ,,A Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO in 2001.

The exhibition contained the works of famous god-makers from Zemaitija (Lowland) region, where this tradition is still very strong. Also black traditional ceramics (old technique, used in Dzukija region) that have become very popular in the homes of the town-dvellers in Lithuania. Lithuanian women were famous from ancient times for their weavings. This tradition still exists and cloths and other articles of different home-made textiles were at the exhibition.

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