The old sacral sculpture of Lithuanian nation (from funds of Rokiskis area museum)

Rokiškis

One of the most expressive branches of traditional art of Lithuanian nation was sculpture. Various saint-figures were derived to monuments of the small architecture: crosses, roof-poles, crucifixions and small chapels. Monuments used to be built in homesteads (by house, flower garden or at gate) or not far from it. More remote or mystified places, swamps, unused land, where somebody died, where it is unpleasant are also being marked with monuments for frightening devils and saving a man from accidents. Choice of sculptures plot mostly depended on reasons and intentions of building the monument, mostly concerned with safety and care.

Collection of the old national sculptures being saved in Rokiskis area museum is rather plenty and valuable – about 170 exponents. Majority of them reached the museum before the World War II. Almost half of them were collected from various locations of Rokiskis d. The oldest sculpture of the collection – “Christ after Resurrection” was created in XVII c.
In collection of the museum the dominating plots are Jesus (cross, Jesus Nazarene, Christ), St. John Baptist, St. John Nipomo, St. Virgin Maria. Saint women are less in Lithuanian nation creations than men. The most popular plot of them is plot of St. Virgin Maria. Maria was applied with prays for asking health and wishing to simplify the life fate. These plots are mostly common in Lithuanian nation art: Maria the Grace Mother, Maria the Merciful, Maria the Aching, Pieta. The latter is mostly spread. Maria is shown sitting, with a dead Christ on her hands, her crowned head is surrounded with aureole, nimbus of seven stars and seven flaming swords stabbed into her heart.

St. John Nipomo – one of the most popular saints. He is shown dressed as a priest, with a cross and palm branch in a hand. Head surrounded with five stars nimbus. His small chapels were used to be built at water.

Cross was used to be shown by national master nude, with thorn crown on his head, blood drops on his body.

Jesus Nazarene – is a figure of Christ with long red dress, thorn crown on a head, hands tired with a rope and small plate on his neck.

In Jesus baptism plot most often two figures are shown standing in water: St. John Baptist pouring water with a right hand on head of Christ having a wooden cross in his left hand.
St. John Baptist is used alone as well. He is wrapped with a furry tunic handling a cross with long thin pole. Small chapels with him used to stand at water mostly.
Other saints are also exhibited - St. Cassimere, St. Anthony, St. George... as well as crosses and crucifixes. A cross – one of the oldest symbolic signs worldwide symbolizes four sides of the world, relations of sky and ground. It is a crossroad where life and death roads cross. Christian cross also called as Latin cross symbolizes ache of Christ and ransom. This is a basic symbol of Christianity.

Even now the old national whittlings hide plenty of secrets. Author of only some more than ten sculptures were successfully stated – even most of the surnames or names did not survive. These were created by national masters, traditionally in Lithuania called as “Godmakers”. They were mostly native of rustics; didn’t have their own land; used to travel from village to village getting orders for whittlings. “Godmakers” had never graduated any lectures, mostly – illiterate or little literate could not write even their surnames of whittling. Truly, date survived shaped on some crosses. The basic creative sources of “Godmakers” were sculptures in churches or illustrations in prayer-books and vivid imagination of themselves.