National museum of decorative arts of Ukraine
The National Museum of Decorative Arts is a cornerstone of Ukraine's artistic heritage, housing an extensive collection of over 80,000 pieces that encompass both traditional folk and professional decorative art from the 15th to the early 21st century. Its origins trace back to 1899 when the first public museum, the City Museum of Antiquities and Art, was established in Kyiv. Over the years, the museum underwent several name changes and relocations, evolving from the Kyiv Art and Industrial Scientific Museum to the All-Ukrainian Historical Museum before specializing in Ukrainian art. The collection took shape over time, ultimately establishing itself as an independent institution in 1964 as the State Museum of Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art. In 2010, it was granted national status, cementing its significance in Ukraine's cultural landscape. The museum's collection is a treasure trove of Ukraine's diverse folk art, including carpet weaving, embroidery, pottery, woodwork, and various crafts using materials like leather, bone, metal, glass, and porcelain. Each item in the collection showcases distinctive national and regional characteristics.
Moreover, the museum features works by professional artists in decorative art, displaying a fusion of folk traditions and the creation of intricate spatial compositions. These artists adeptly blend imaginative content with traditional motifs, adding a layer of complexity and artistry to the collection. The museum's journey is a testament to the preservation and celebration of Ukraine's cultural heritage. Its space within the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, an architectural monument itself, further underscores the significance and reverence with which Ukrainian art and culture are regarded. The museum serves as a beacon of the nation's artistic legacy, drawing visitors into the vibrant tapestry of Ukraine's rich and diverse artistic history.
Art works
The National Museum of Decorative Arts possesses a significant collection of works by professional artists in the field of decorative art in which the use of folk traditions and the tendency to create complex spatial compositions with imaginative-associative content are noticeable. All types of folk art of Ukraine are presented in the museum collection: carpet making, weaving, punching, embroidery, ceramics, carving and painting wood, artistic processing of leather, horn and metal, glass, porcelain, pysankari, folk painting and icon painting. Ukrainian complexes belong to the gold fund of the museum collection folk dress of the 19th century – beginning 20th century all regions of Ukraine, dated carpets 18th – early 20th centuries, clay tiles of the 15th–18th centuries, Cossack pipes and powder cases of the 18th–19th centuries, gold-woven silk belts of the 17th–18th centuries, gingerbread molds of the 18th – early 20th centuries, glassware of the 16th – 18th centuries, products leading porcelain and earthenware enterprises of Ukraine of the 18th–19th centuries. and other. The museum keeps the largest collection of works of the national artist in Ukraine Maria Prymachenko (1909–1997) of Ukraine – more than six hundred fairy-tale and fantastic pictorial compositions. The name of M.Primachenko was included in the number 10 best primitivist artists of the world.
The pearl of the museum collection is thirty-seven paintings by Kateryna Bilokur (1900–1961) – People’s Artist of Ukraine, whose artistic heritage rightfully belongs to the treasury of world art.
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