Painted Decorations on Pottery of the Chernihiv Region of the 18th – first Third of the 20th Century

The purpose of the article is to outline the main issues of the following scientific problem – the history of the origin, assortment, and typology of the principal motifs, compositional schemes, and techniques for making painted decor of the Chernihiv region pottery tableware. The research methodology corresponds to the purpose of this study and includes a comprehensive approach to the study, systematisation, and interpretation of the empirical material using historical-comparative, formal-typological, and art analysis methods. The scientific novelty of this study. It is the first attempt at the comprehensive analysis of painted decor as a manifestation of the artistic culture of the population. While working over the material, the origins and evolution of the most common decorative motifs for the decoration of pottery were determined, their art specificity in the regional and national context was considered, classification was done, and a number of works from museum collections were put into scientific circulation. Conclusions. Analysing the pottery-painted decor of the Chernihiv region of the 18th century – the first third of the 20th century, it can be concluded that it developed within the national tradition of Ukrainian pottery, and used its main aesthetic and stylistic principles. The pottery of the region is characterised by a wide range of motifs (geometric, plant-geometrised, plant, zoomorphic, and others), a variety of techniques, and creative manners. The evolution of the painted decor stylistics contains the interaction of traditional and innovative factors, the influence of neighbouring regions' pottery, artistic and other types of decorative art, for example, art – industrial products – earthenware, and porcelain. The painted decor had pronounced regional features of the form, interpretation of motifs and images, compositional schemes, plastic solutions, and colouring. Keyword:.pottery, decor, painting, tradition, innovation, artistic features.