Mariia Maksymovych’s Embroidered Shirt: A Study of the Ornament

The results of the research of the embroidered ornament of Mariia Maksymovych’s shirt, preserved at the Taras Shevchenko Literary Memorial House-Museum are described in the article. The study of the issues related to Ukrainian history and national identity is a relevant topic interesting for the scientists as well as for the general public. Modern ethnological studies have faced the issue of investigation of Ukrainian ornamentation in the system of cross-cultural approaches. The research methodology is based on the works of such scholars as Khv. Vovk, O. Kosach, St. Taranushenko, T. Kara-Vasylieva, M. Selivachov, H. Hough. The history of the transfer to the museum and the technological features of the embroidered shirt of Mariia Maksymovych are studied thoroughly in the work Mariia Maksymovych’s Shirt by O. Karpenko (2012). Our investigation is dedicated to the discovery of a possible original source of the embroidery ornament of Mariia Maksymovych’s shirt. As a result of the search, identical patterns have been found. They are published in a series of works by the DMC textile company. It has published books and albums on needlework under the name brand of Th. Dillmont (a famous popularizer of embroidery art in the 19th century). Some doubts about the authenticity of Mariia Maksymovych’s shirt have been raised with a found information. However, a deeper study of the issue has showed that the DMC firm has attracted previously printed schemes to its published works. So, at the moment, we cannot state unequivocally that the embroidered shirt hasn’t belonged to Mariia Maksymovych. The submitted materials reveal new perspectives for the study of intercultural influences of embroidery ornamentation. The pattern on the shirt preserved at the Taras Shevchenko Literary and Memorial Museum will be considered also in the context of the heritage of the authoritative Austrian connoisseur of embroidery art Th. Dillmont after our research.