| Today we shall talk about the composition in | | | | ancient times ornament designed had a |
| embroidery. You will get to know about | | | | strongly marked symbolic meaning. |
| ornaments and its use to decorate household | | | | |
| stuff in times of old. Ornamental patterns | | | | A straight horizontal line stood for the land |
| decorate many things. If a thing is | | | | surface, horizontal wavy line stood for the |
| beautiful, it is pleasant to use it. You have | | | | water, a vertical wavy line symbolized rain, |
| many confections at home: fine china, | | | | triangles meant mountains, crossed lined |
| in-wrought drapery, embroidered cushions, | | | | stood for fire and lightning, the Sun and the |
| ovenware… Try to decorate them | | | | Moon - radiant celestial bodies - were |
| yourself. | | | | indicated by a circle, a square, or a |
| | | | rhombus. |
| In former times only a few could buy fine | | | | |
| things. In the villages away from big cities | | | | A female character with hand up or down |
| people made and decorated the things they | | | | represented the image of Earth Mother, |
| needed themselves - wooden spoons, plates, | | | | connected with worshiping of the land and |
| water scoops and other. Some of them survived | | | | water. Eastern Slavic goddess Bereginya, or |
| to our times. Many of such things are | | | | Mokosh, was the patroness of water, |
| elaborately made. Now they are kept in | | | | household, hearth and home, and handiwork. |
| museums. We do not know the names of those | | | | |
| who made them, but their art is called folk | | | | Branchy trees and frog images stood for |
| art. | | | | fertile land; grass, flowers, bushes, and |
| | | | trees were called "the hair of the Earth". |
| The works of the folk craftsman delight us in | | | | Out-runner of the Sun, warmth and light, |
| colour schemes, amazing pictures of plants, | | | | symbol of happiness and joy was a bird that |
| birds and animals. Patterns are wonderful: | | | | promised the incoming of spring, harvest and |
| flowers, outlandish birds, and thin and neat | | | | wealth. A deer and horse represented |
| branches of trees. And what colours! | | | | "live-giving aster" - the Sun - and were |
| | | | believed to bring good fortune, jollity, and |
| How could the folk craftsman create such a | | | | prosperity. |
| gorgeous design? | | | | |
| | | | The rhombus was the main sign and it had many |
| Who could give him a cue? | | | | meanings. A smooth or spurred rhombus stood |
| | | | for the Sun and fire, as well as for |
| It was the nature that directed him; he had | | | | fertility, revival. A chain of rhombuses |
| seen it in the forest or in the garden. Look | | | | meant the Tree of Life. A rhombus with |
| carefully at the plants, how their leaves | | | | protruding sides represented the top of |
| grow, what their shape is, what the colours | | | | timberwork; a square divided into four parts |
| are. | | | | with a circle or a dot in each meant a |
| | | | homestead and a sown field. |
| Before making something, you should think the | | | | |
| whole item over, decide upon the shape, | | | | There were special ornaments for wedding |
| arranging of the pattern, it character and | | | | garments and burial clothes, warrior |
| colour. The artistic solution of the ornament | | | | clothing, farmers, and or household stuff, |
| is included into the general concept of | | | | etc. Dishes, stoves and furniture were |
| composition. | | | | covered with ornaments. Every region had |
| | | | their traditional ornament patterns. It is |
| The Latin word "composition" means arranging | | | | easy to distinguish Russian pattern from |
| separate parts into a complete unit in a | | | | Bashkir or Estonian one. Over time the |
| certain order. Together these parts are | | | | figures changed, became more complicated and |
| supposed to create a definite shape. In the | | | | were combined with other designs, creating |
| properly designed composition all the | | | | image patterns. Now ornament has a purely |
| elements are interconnected, it is impossible | | | | decorative function. |
| to remove anything without the loss of | | | | |
| integrity of the picture and the harmony of | | | | Ornament is a pattern the elements of which |
| composition. | | | | follow a definite rhythm. |
| | | | |
| Composition has the principal elements and | | | | The part of the ornament that is completely |
| secondary, subordinate elements. The | | | | repeated at a specific interval is called |
| principal elements are those that attract | | | | rapport, which means repetition. |
| attention first and bear the main idea, the | | | | |
| concept of the pattern. The major element of | | | | According to the arrangement and the |
| the design must be connected and balanced by | | | | character of composition, which is always |
| the secondary elements. The main part is not | | | | closely related to the shape o the decorated |
| necessarily located in the centre of the | | | | item, ornament can be: |
| composition. It can be emphasised by the | | | | |
| means of contrast colour or its size and | | | | Ribbon - straight or arched strip that |
| shape. | | | | decorates the middle of the item or frames it |
| | | | (frieze, border); Netlike, where all the |
| Composition can be three or two-dimensional. | | | | surface is covered with the pattern; |
| Embroidery is a two dimensional composition. | | | | Centric, or rosette-like, where all the |
| Composition developing is a creative process | | | | elements are inserted into a square, circle, |
| of artistic work invention from conception to | | | | rhombus, or multi-angular (rosette), located |
| perfection. Starting an embroidery, one | | | | in the centre of an item. |
| should remember that it is an applied art, | | | | |
| and any embroidered item, whether it be a | | | | The following ornament designs are |
| tablecloth, a blouse, or a panel, is | | | | distinguished: Geometric, consisting of |
| household article as well as a piece of art. | | | | several elements; Meander - composed of |
| Thus, the size and fashion of the tablecloth, | | | | broken lines, widely used in Ancient Greece |
| its colour, and the pattern will depend on | | | | and named after the river Meander; Flower, |
| the size and shape, material and colour of | | | | or fito, composed of stylised flower, fruit, |
| the table it is made for. The tablecloth will | | | | leaves and branch images; Animal, with |
| become a part of interior, that is why it | | | | stylised figures of animals and insects; |
| must be balance with the other things in the | | | | Lettering-like (ligature), resembling a |
| room. | | | | lettering. |
| | | | |
| You should be aware of some the main notions | | | | Designing a pattern is always related to |
| and means of composition in order to learn | | | | symmetry that is typical for folk embroidery |
| how to arrange a composition correctly. They | | | | patterns. You can invent a ornament with one |
| are rhythm, rapport order, symmetry and | | | | or several lines of symmetry. The easiest |
| others. All these notions in their turn are | | | | type of symmetry (with one line) is a mirror |
| connected with the concept of "ornament". | | | | reflection when the line divides an element |
| | | | into two identical parts. |
| In Latin "ornament" means decoration. In | | | | |