Ukrainian Zoomorphic Ceramics of the 20th Century as an Artistic Phenomenon of Decorative Art
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32461/2226-3209.2.2026.362282Keywords:
zoomorphic ceramics, decorative and applied arts, decorative ceramics, artistic ceramics, artistic phenomenon, 20th-century ceramicsAbstract
The purpose of the article is to explore Ukrainian zoomorphic ceramics of the 20th century as an artistic phenomenon of decorative art, to define its aesthetic and stylistic features, and to analyse the evolution of artistic traditions within the context of Ukrainian decorative art. Particular attention is paid to the role of animal imagery in shaping the compositional language of ceramic works and their function within the artistic environment of the time. The research methodology is based on a combination of art-historical analysis, comparative-stylistic method, and historical-cultural approach. The study employs analysis of artistic plasticity, semantics of images, and stylistic features, as well as examination of museum collections, archival sources, and scholarly publications, which allows for a comprehensive understanding of the subject. The scientific novelty of the article lies in presenting Ukrainian zoomorphic ceramics of the 20th century not only as a decorative phenomenon but also as an independent artistic phenomenon reflecting the stylistic transformations of the era–from folk traditions to modernist experiments. The article systematises the main stylistic directions and artistic techniques, analyses the influence of ethnographic traditions and modernist tendencies on the development of the genre, and outlines its place within Ukrainian decorative art. Conclusions. Ukrainian zoomorphic ceramics of the 20th century represent an important artistic phenomenon that served as a link between traditional culture and new artistic movements. It not only preserved the symbolism and imagery of folk art but also transformed them into a modern artistic language, opening new possibilities for decorative art. Zoomorphic ceramic works of this period function both as carriers of cultural memory and as instruments of aesthetic innovation, confirming their significance within the context of Ukrainian fine and decorative art.
References
Beketova, I. (2006). 100th anniversary of the master of artistic ceramics. Kupola, 3, 76–77 [in Ukrainian].
Valerii and Nadiia Protoriev. Series of publications of the National Museum of Decorative Art of Ukraine “Museum collections”. (2024). Tvory [in Ukrainian].
Herus, L. (2004). Ukrainian folk toy. Instytut narodoznavstva NAN Ukrainy [in Ukrainian].
Danchenko, L. (1974). Folk ceramics of the Middle Dnieper region. Mystetstvo [in Ukrainian].
Dmytro Holovko. Album. (1978). Mystetstvo [in Ukrainian].
Ivashkiv, H.M. (2021). Ukrainian folk figurative ceramics of the 19th–20th centuries: plastics of decor and form, concept of images. Doctor’s thesis. Instytut narodoznavstva; Lvivska natsionalna akademiia mystetstv [in Ukrainian].
Ivashkiv, H. (2019). Typology and artistic features of zoomorphic ceramic products of the 19th – early 21st centuries. Narodoznavchi zoshyty, 1(145), 236–252 [in Ukrainian].
Klymenko, O. (2002). Collection of Opishne ceramics in the collection of the State Museum of Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art. In 100 rokiv kolektsii Derzhavnoho muzeiu ukrainskoho narodnoho dekoratyvnoho mystetstva (pp. 74–79). ArtEk [in Ukrainian].
Metka, L. (Ed.). (2024). Laureates of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine: Vasyl Omelianenko. Ukr. Narodoznavstvo [in Ukrainian].
Lashchuk, Yu. (1992). Folk art of the Ukrainian Polissia. Kameniar [in Ukrainian].
Lashchuk, Yu.P. (1970). Ceramics. In Istoriia ukrainskoho mystetstva (Vol. 4, Book 2, pp. 340–350). Holovna red. ukr. rad. entsyklopedii [in Ukrainian].
Naiden, O. (1999). Ukrainian folk toy. ArtEk [in Ukrainian].
Podilskyi peresmishnyk. Series of publications of the National Museum of Decorative Art of Ukraine “Museum collections” (issue 15). (2025). NILAN-LTD [in Ukrainian].
Prusevych, A. (1916). Pottery craft in Podilska province. In Kustarnye promysly Podolskoi gubernii (pp. 9–118). Typo-Lytohrafiia “S.V. Kulzhenko” [in Russian].
Ryzhenko, Ya. (1930). Forms of pottery of Poltava region. Naukovyi zbirnyk Kharkivskoi naukovo-doslidnoi katedry istorii ukrainskoi kultury, 9(2), 22–42 [in Ukrainian].
Rusov, M. (1905). Pottery in the village of Oposhnia, in Poltava region. Materialy do ukrainsko-ruskoi etnolohii (Vol. 6, pp. 41–59). Vyd-nia Etnohr. Komisii [in Ukrainian].
Serzhant, L. (2000). From craft to art. Narodne mystetstvo, 1–2, 30–31 [in Ukrainian].
Stankevych, M.Ye. (1992). Toys. In Ye.A. Antonovych, R.V. Zakharchuk-Chuhai, & M.Ye. Stankevych, Dekoratyvno-prykladne mystetstvo (pp. 227–233). Svit [in Ukrainian].
Fedir Hnidyi. Album. (1980). Mystetstvo [in Ukrainian].
Chehusova, Z.A. (2002). Decorative art of Ukraine of the late 20th century. 200 names: album-catalogue. Atlant UMC [in Ukrainian].
Shcherbak, V. (1974). Modern Ukrainian majolica. Naukova dumka [in Ukrainian].
Yakiv Padalka. Ceramics. Exhibition catalogue of works. (1990). Spilka khudozhnykiv Ukrainy [in Ukrainian].
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License International CC-BY that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
