Kashubian embroidery

The Kashubian embroidery pattern, invented by T. Gulgowska (→Gulgowscy Teodora and Izydor) in Wdzydze at the beginning of the 20th century, after subsequent transformations made both in the visual and narrative layers, has become a kind of symbol of the Kashubian region. Gulgowska, a well-educated painter, familiar with the latest trends in art, who studied in Berlin among others centres, drew inspiration when creating embroidery patterns from: Kashubian furniture, ceramics, embroidered bonnets, which had already gone out of fashion at that time, liturgical vestments located in the church treasury in Żukowo and patterns published in German magazines for women. In her design work, she conducted research and created a collection. Her activity was closely linked to the scientific and collecting activity of her husband, Izydor. Together they used the term “folk style”, seeing in it a combination of multicultural influences, wandering motifs and similarities. She was influenced by H. Sohnrey’s publications and the idea of regionalism fashionable in Europe at that time. The artist’s intention in her design activities related to embroidery was to raise the economic standard of living of the local population (especially women), who at that time were very poor, forced by living conditions into cyclical, seasonal (summer) emigration, and unemployed in winter. Over 100 people were involved in embroidering the floral compositions designed by Gulgowska. The work in this collective appeared at many exhibitions (in Berlin, Kalisz, Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań, Toruń), were given awards and distinguished mention. There were so many orders for them that often production could not keep up. The version of Kashubian embroidery which is currently most popular was formed in the 1920s and 1930s. Then, Kashubian embroidery became known throughout the country thanks to embroidery patterns published by the Gdańsk Kashubian-Pomeranian Association in the 1970s, largely thanks to the efforts of I. Trojanowska. At that time, four varieties could already be distinguished: Puck, Wdzydze, Wejherowo and Żukowo. In 2012, it was reported that there were thirteen varieties – the bonnet embroidery and the other so-called schools: Borowiacka, Bytów, Kartuzy, Klukow, Kościerzyna, Słupsk, Tucholska, Wielewska. More are emerging. The differences between them lie in the motifs, colours and technique. Kashubian embroidery on white or grey linen is still widely practised – it is the most popular field of regional handicraft. Among other thing it is used to decorate table covers (tablecloths, runners, napkins and serviettes), curtains, pillows, church paraments, the so-called Kashubian costume in community centre and everyday clothing. People who embroider often gather in groups, clubs or teams (e.g. the Kashubian Embroidery Circle at the Rural Housewives’ Circle in Chwaszczyno, the Kashubian Embroidery Club “Tulpa”, the Kashubian Embroidery Group “Złotnica”). Embroidery is taught primarily on courses organised in cultural centres and other places, and less frequently is passed down through family traditions. The development of this field of regional creativity is still supported by the Kashubian-Pomeranian Association and local museums. Linen cloth decorated with embroidery can be viewed at exhibitions and purchased at local fairs, markets, bazaars etc., although the demand for it is lower than in the communist era. It is worth mentioning that since 1996 Linia has been hosting a provincial Kashubian embroidery competition, to which people from Kashubia and elsewhere send their work. In 2015, Kashubian embroidery of the Żukowo school was entered on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which appears to be strengthening the standardization of its patterns. The most famous embroiderers include L. Brzeziński, H. Grabkowska, A. Konkel, I. Mach, F. Majkowska, J. Ptach, Z. Ptach, B. Reglińska, B. Rezmer, J. Sitarz, I. Szczepańska, E. Szymikowski, B. Wrycza-Plińska.

The pattern consciously constructed by Gulgowska was very quickly recognized in some circles as original, indigenous Kashubian embroidery. It was attributed to strictly folk origins, stemming from the archaic heritage of the Kashubians. Paradoxically, this was influenced by the artistic adaptation of the ornamentation to the design trends of early 20th century fashion and the demand for local artistic products. Interestingly, the embroidery designed by Gulgowska – despite being based on similar assumptions as, for example, the works of S. Witkiewicz or many other artists in various fields at that time (including those dealing with artistic fabrics) – is not mentioned in textbooks on applied art. The artistic products of the educated, avant-garde painter became a subject of interest for ethnographers, later also sociologists, and to a much lesser extent art historians. The evolution of the pattern designed by Gulgowska is fascinating and shows how well it suited the aesthetic tastes of the Kashubians. Today, the “identification” of Gulgowska’s pattern with the aforementioned “original” Kashubian embroidery, which, by the way, never existed, is very common in the region. This does not necessarily have to result from ignorance of its history. Even if it is known, it does not prevent this embroidery from being considered very old and typical, because it corresponds to the expectations and desires of local communities to create their own, specific, different cultural past of necessity strongly rooted in a past culture, which becomes a basic element of identity.

The popularity of Kashubian embroidery patterns is evidenced by the fact that they currently appear in many public spaces where we can see them in a less (most often) or more processed version. T. Siemiński, analysing the phenomenon of Kashubian embroidery, which as a graphic sign is transferred from fabric to other surfaces and in this form is strongly visible in Kashubia, distinguished several basic contexts in which this sign functions: gastronomic and food (food packaging and grocery store and catering signboards), in relation to the production of utility items (primarily porcelain from “Lubiana” in Łubiana, but also furniture from the 1970s and 1980s), on occasions such as festivals (regional events, including school and local government events; also websites of local government institutions), educational (regional education, e.g. books, competitions, etc.) and tourist souvenirs, signalling the attractiveness of an object or place (e.g. souvenirs, welcome signs in towns). The author emphasizes that embroidery has been informally recognized as a common good – the Kashubian pattern – which can be used freely. As such – multiplied in millions of applications and thanks to this increasingly recognizable also outside Kashubia – it has transformed into a kind of brand that significantly influences the identity of the region.

The individual colours of Kashubian embroidery are assigned specific meanings: green symbolizes Kashubian forests and meadows, blue – waters of lakes, rivers, streams, seas and sky, yellow – sand from the seashore, black – the Kashubians’ difficult fate, red – blood spilled for Kashubian land. In this way, embroidery has become a carrier of the message of the Kashubian group myth.

Kashubian embroidery has also been described as an invented tradition contrived to strengthen a sense of belonging to the group. It can symbolize its internal unity and determine what distinguishes Kashubians from others. The mythical origins of Kashubian embroidery, sometimes reaching back to the 12th century, and not to the beginning of the 20th century and Gulgowska’s activities, are spreading and finding many supporters also thanks to the fact that almost every community (and individual?) is now aware of creating its own culture and is able to speak about it without the mediation of “professional researchers”. Therefore, its voice becomes at least as important for its creators and bearers as the opinion of representatives of specialized institutions, such as universities or museums.

Artefacts marked with the Kashubian embroidery pattern can also be interpreted as manifestations of “everyday ethnicity”, referring to the categories proposed by M. Billig in the book “Banalny nacjonalizm”. Replacing this concept with the category of “banal ethnicity”, referring to ordinariness, commonness, etc. is justified. There are so many places and objects marked with the Kashubian pattern that they have blended into the surroundings and imperceptibly entwined our everyday life. For the residents of Kashubia they remain ordinary, routine, familiar, obvious, natural and neutral, although they are meant to attract the attention of a tourist or a customer. It is only up to the imagination of creators, artists or entrepreneurs what will be produced “in the Kashubian style”. The frequent use of the Kashubian style promotes the further process of ethnicization of the area. In this way, the hidden function of a grocery store, restaurant, guest room, public utility facility or gadget marked with a motif taken from Kashubian embroidery becomes the creation, strengthening or providing of cultural identity. What counts is the possibility and power of persuasion, the ability to convince both permanent residents and visitors that Kashubia is here and Kashubians live here. Each subsequent image containing the discussed graphic symbols, maintained in this increasingly recognisable convention, drives and justifies subsequent stylisations of this kind. They serve to emphasise the Kashubian presence and activity, but at the same time contribute to the integration of the group and identification with its own culture.

For some researchers or ideologists of Kashubian culture, the current commodification of this culture – a flagship example of which is the use of Kashubian embroidery patterns in marketing activities – may arouse mixed feelings. However, it is worth remembering that Kashubian embroidery has functioned as a commodity from the very beginning, it was created as such and has never ceased to be one.

Spaces and objects marked with Kashubian embroidery patterns are a specific type of visual manifestation of social life, almost a local visual stereotype. We live in a visual era – images are of increasing importance to us, increasingly we use them to communicate, convey information, emotions, values. They are a tool through which social construction of reality takes place. Those with an embroidery pattern simultaneously reflect and shape contemporary ways of thinking about Kashubian identity. This example shows that what Kashubians themselves (and more broadly: the inhabitants of Kashubia) recognize as such and make such becomes Kashubian. This is a dynamic, constantly changing, ongoing process. It is what determines the vitality of Kashubian culture. It indicates the strong subjectivity of its representatives. Tradition is not an unchanging and objective message of past generations. It is created before our eyes and through our actions.

Katarzyna Kulikowska

Bibliography

• Błaszkowski W., Haft kaszubski, Gdańsk 1965.
• Kulikowska K., Zatoń P., Znaki tożsamości. Wzór haftu kaszubskiego w przestrzeni publicznej, Wdzydze 2017.
• Obracht-Prondzyński C., Fopke T., Kulikowska K., Współczesna kultura kaszubska, Gdańsk 2018.
• Rezmer B., Jak haftować po kaszubsku, Gdańsk 1989.
• Siemiński T., Konteksty funkcjonowania wzornictwa haftu kaszubskiego, [in:] Etnoinspiracje. Inspiracje kulturą ludową we współczesnym polskim wzornictwie, modzie, architekturze, reklamie…, edited by K. Kulikowska, C. Obracht-Prondzyński, Gdańsk 2012, pp. 28-36.

Filmography

Haft kaszubski, directed by M. Świerczyńska-Dolot, 2013.

Museum Exhibitions

• Post-competition exhibitions of Kashubian embroidery, Community Cultural Centre in Linia.
• Kashubian Embroidery, Museum of Kashubian-Pomeranian Literature and Music in Wejherowo, 2011.
• Colours of Pomeranian Tradition: Kashubian Embroidery, Baltic Coast Cultural Centre, 2016.
• Kashubian Embroidery – a Symbol of Kashubian Regional Heritage, J. Rydzkowski Historical and Ethnographic Museum in Chojnice, 2018.
• Auroras, Museum – Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze, 2021.

Figure

1. Source: Museum – Kashubian Ethnographic Park in Wdzydze.