a ceiling in a main room – became a popular decoration in polish village houses. Traditionally made by countryside women, their history dates back to the end of the 18th century.
I’ve been fascinated by pająki since first seeing them inside a traditional wooden house, located in the Open Air Village Museum in Lublin; and, I’ve held their image in my mind
for many years. Mind you, pajaki were almost forgotten in Poland; you could only see them at ethnographic museums or during craft folk festivals where elderly artists participated. Young people were simply not making them.
Thinking they were too unique to be forgotten,
I thought about making them in London where I lived. And so, as time or history would have it, I made my first pająki in the summer of 2015.
Pająki are not only colourful decorations, they
possess symbolic meaning as well. People
believe rye straw, of which they are made, had magical properties and would bring good luck and health to the household. As such, after harvesting straw in the summer, a “dziad”
(or large sheaf of straw) would be kept inside
the house. Then, before Christmas Eve, the saved rye straw would be scattered on the floor and under the table to protect the house from the evil spirits and demons. Hanging above a Christmas table, pająk would become
a symbol of harvest and happiness in the New
Year. And after Christmas, the same would be used during Easter, not to mention other celebrations like weddings and christenings.
Pająki come in different shapes.The most popular ones were the ones inspired by large metal chandeliers from churches. Women started decorating them with different natural elements, like peas or beans in the Kurpie
Above:
Open Air Museum,
Lublim.
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