Since February 17, 2022, the exhibition “Ukrainian Scarf. The Philosophy of Attractiveness” has been on display at the National Museum of Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art, presenting 20 authentic scarves and fragments from the late 18th to the 20th century from museum collections.
The museum is presenting an exhibition of scarf products as unique works of art for the first time. The collection of scarves in the museum’s collection of weaving, carpet-making, and printing comprises 172 items from the 18th to the mid-20th century. The first acquisition took place in 1907 from a commission for the organization of the First South Russian Handicraft Exhibition.
The oldest items in the collection are homemade (handwoven) scarves. Linen scarves were also called “old-style scarves.” They were used throughout the territory of Ukraine as ancient textile headgear, both in calendar and family rituals. In the collection, homemade scarves are represented by the Polissia region. The exhibition project showcases both domestic and factory-produced scarves, which became an integral part of traditional Ukrainian women’s attire from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
These scarves were made from linen, cotton, wool, and silk, adorned with woven and printed patterns. One of the interesting sections of the exhibition is dedicated to the works of outstanding Ukrainian artists – Oleksandr Pashchenko, Pavlyna Vovchenko (Kyiv Scarf Factory), and Zoya Vyshnevska (Darnytsky Silk Combine), who worked at leading textile enterprises in Ukraine in the 20th century. A video sequence featuring reproductions of female portraits by Ukrainian artists from the 18th to the 20th centuries seamlessly complements and illustrates the story of the Ukrainian scarf.
Exhibition Curator: Lyudmyla Tikhonova, a leading research associate at the National Museum of Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art. The exhibition will be open until March 31, 2022.
