Zoomorphic Images in Embroidery: From Hunting Trophies to Protective Totems

The earliest depictions of animals emerged in the Paleolithic era, when humanity began to express its world through art. Alongside geometric ornaments symbolizing cosmic harmony and fertility, cave paintings featured silhouettes of mammoths and hunting scenes—the oldest traces of human creativity. These zoomorphic motifs carried profound meaning: they celebrated hunting and the hunter as the provider of the tribe. Animals were seen as integral to nature, capable of nurturing yet also posing danger. A drought could destroy an entire clan, so ancient people, by naming and depicting animals in art, sought to influence their environment and ensure survival.

 

In the Scythian era, zoomorphic images flourished anew. Scythian mythology, rich with symbols, came alive in the renowned “animal style”—an art form where animals were revered as totems and embodiments of magic. Initially sacred, these depictions later became ornamental motifs. Scythian works impress with their keen observation of nature, dynamic compositions of battling beasts, and the fluidity of their movements. Common subjects included herbivores, predators, birds, and fantastical creatures like griffins. Techniques varied—engraving on metal, casting, wood or bone carving, and leather appliqués. One of the closest sites to Kharkiv is the burial mound in Pisky, where from 1978 to 1980, archaeologists from the Kharkiv Historical Museum, led by V. G. Borodulin, uncovered metal artifacts, including gold items. Among them were clothing ornaments and horse harness decorations featuring deer, hares, and mythical beasts.

 

For the ancient Slavs, living in agricultural communities, animals served as mediators between humanity and nature. They were honored as totems, offered sacrifices, and adorned clothing or worn as amulets. Zoomorphic motifs were considered masculine symbols, granting strength, courage, agility, and endurance to warriors. Paired animal images symbolized continuity of the lineage and fertility, linked to the pagan cult of the god Rod and the Rozhanitsy. In decorative arts, these images often intertwined with tree or tiered plant ornaments, placing animals in their natural setting—among trees, bushes, and flowers. Sometimes, humans appeared: a hunter on horseback, pairs of men and women holding hands, emphasizing the bond with nature.

 

Special attention is drawn to the rushnyks in the Mykola Sumtsov Kharkiv Historical Museum collection. Among the 9 items, dated from the late 19th to early 20th century, embroidered with black and red threads on hemp cloth, are tiered compositions with a “Tree in a Vase.” They depict wild animals (deer, foxes, hares) and domesticated ones (horses, dogs), with one featuring a fantastical creature resembling a lion. Three rushnyks with everyday themes show people alongside domestic animals. Each stitch in these embroideries is a dialogue with the past, where needle and thread weave human destinies with the eternal natural world.