A world of meaning

More than just decoration, each colour carries meaning!

Bright colours, bright life

Ukrainian embroidery is a true celebration of life through the medium of art reflecting. The vibrant colours allowing the jopyous spirit of the people and culture to be expressed. 

Black  

Black thread can have both positive and negative meaning. It can symbolise the richness of the earth, fertility and bravery.  However majority of the time black is associated with sadness, sorrow, negative energy, separation and death. Black embroidered shirts were traditionally worn by the dead, representing mourning and the memory of deceased relatives.

 

 

White

White is colour of thread that holds lots of significance, it is associated with the sacred. It represents divinity, innocence, sanctity, neutrality and spiritual purity. This colour is the most common colour for the linen used to created a vyshyvanky. A white vyshyvanka on a unmarried woman signified her purity and innocence. 

Red

Red is predominantly representative of love and passion. It also stands for joy, power, and protection. This idea of protection is expressed by reds ability to represent the blood spilled by Ukrainian's in the defence of their country. Additionally it also encapsulates masculine energy as well as the sun. 

Yellow

Yellow is of course representative of the the sun and its solar energy. Yellow thread stands for life, joy, wealth, warmth and prosperity. It can also symbolise grain encompassing the harvest and its golden colour. Combined with blue thread yellow becomes a patriotic colour. 

Green

Green as expected represents nature. It connects to the rebirth of the natural world in spring. This helps it to encompass the fertility of the earth as well as birth and growth. Green also represents folklore, youth, life and harmony. 

Blue

Blue thread represents water and sky. Additionally it can represent tranquility, peace and harmony. This colour is also associated with feminine energy. Given that blue is the opposite of red, it was common to combine blue and red to harmonise energies.