beadwork

Anastasia Jaskelainen (The Kizhi museum reserve, Petrozavodsk) shows different ways of creating traditional jewelry from beads and pearls

Pearl adornments have been very popular in Russia since ancient times. Pearls were collected in rivers in Novgorod, Archangelsk and Vologda regions, in Ladoga Lake and Ilmen Lake areas and in the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean coastline. The basin of Onego Lake and the Zaonezhye area was known for the abundance of pearls. 36 local rivers, brooks and small lakes were full of unattractive pearl-shells. The North of Karelia was also rich in pearls. The old emblem of the city of Kem bears a pearl diadem against the blue background. Silver white and sometimes with the blue tint, the pearls from the Kem River were excellent for jewelry and were delivered to the royal family. Since ancient times pearls were used to decorate cloths of the nobility, church attire and cult objects. Larger pearls went for the decoration of the secular and church articles; smaller pearls were used to make necklaces and diadems and to decorate buttons, pins and rings. Women’s headdresses decorated with golden thread, gems and pearls were of special appeal. In the 18th century after the decree on the introduction of the European fashion issued by Peter the Great an interest in river pearls vanished remaining only in merchants and folk environments.

During the festive days women in Northern provinces wore headdresses decorated with river pearls, gold and silver threads, metal spangles and foil. Pearl embroidery and stringing were the two ways of decorating the headdresses with pearls. A thin and hard pearl net was made from a light horse hair beaded with tiny pearls. Its wave-like line created an impression of a special lightness of the headdress. According to one of the regional ethnographers a pearl net weighed 10-90 grams or even more. They were passed from mother to daughter by right of succession and were never sold being the family pride.

Earrings were the favorite. Butterfly earring so popular in the Zaonezhye area were made from thin copper or brass and were covered with a pearl net with different stringing patterns. Such earrings were around 5-9 cm long. A laced bow was often placed between the ear clip and the pendant that reminded of the butterfly’s wings. An ear clip was shaped as an oval ring with a joint and a clip. The outside of the clip was decorated with pearls and glass beads.

With time the pearl industry in Olonets province and Russia in general decreased however the need for decoration materials was increasing. Therefore pearls were replaced by the beads. The general word “bead” was used to name both pearls and beads up to the mid 17th century. Traditions of pearl decorations continued in beading, however new techniques also appeared.

Embroidery was one of the most popular crafts. A string of pearls would be sewn on to the linen or cotton cord that was usually used to embroider a pattern on peasant clothes and cult articles. With the coming of beads the embroiderers used the old technique on the new materials.

Surface embroidery originates in goldwork embroidery when thread is held onto the surface of the fabric by silk or linen thread stitches. Linen was often used in embroidery which was also extra covered by silk cloth to intensify the effects of light on the beads which were threaded in a special order. In surface embroidery you could place beaded threads to repeat the shape of the pattern underlining its curves and angles. In this case beaded threads were placed in tight parallel rows being stitched onto the fabric after one or two beads. This kind of embroidery could be also done by sewing every bead separately to the fabric.

Bead knitting and crocheting were good for creating such things as purses, hand bags, necklaces, etc. Beads were threaded on in advance and then knitted in a way that beads stayed on one side. Beaded thread was reeled on rolled-up paper or wooden sticks. Sometimes a round bone of the chicken throat was used. Beadwork was quite simple technique-wise. It was either crocheting or knitting. Crocheting was used more often because it is tight and holds the shape well.

Today, the Kizhi State Historical, Cultural and Ethnographical Museum carries out tremendous work on revival of old craft techniques. Svetlana Vorobyeva, the head of the history and ethnography section of the Kizhi Museum, studied and recreated techniques of making traditional bead and pearl adornments – butterfly earrings and braided necklaces - based on the old samples from the Museum collections. Exhibition Comes Alive created by the Kizhi Museum has been very popular with Petrozavodsk residents and the tourists. The Museum staff dressed in Zaonezhye folk costumes demonstrate the traditional crafts of weaving, embroidery, wood carving and beadwork.