PATTERN BOOKS AND SCHEMES

The first pattern book was published in Germany in the 16th century, and at the end of the 17th century more than 150 universal pattern books were known in Europe. Patterns were suitable for weaving, embroidery, knitting, and printing on fabric. They could be used to decorate articles made of stone, wood, or metal. At the end of the 19th century Europeans obtained many newly published books where mediaeval and Renaissance motifs* intertwined. Did they reach Lithuania? We could put forward the hypothesis that traders, for example, had books with pictures* of patterns and those illustrations in old issues inspired applied art in Lithuania. Surely the connections between 19th and 20th century country fabric patterns and Renaissance art are very distant.

The wave of historicism in the 19th century came to Lithuania too. On the basis of the research of Vytautas Merkys, we can say that craftsmen in Vilnius in 1852 who sewed according to international fashion used information brought from abroad.* Maybe some pattern schemes also came to Lithuania? There is some interesting data in the archives of the district of Kaunas. In 1867 apprentice books were given to students of the weaving-fishery and bookbinding (perepletnogo) shop.*

At the beginning of the 20th century some black-and-white pictures of patterns were given in a book by Ona Kairiūkštienė A small collection of Lithuanian patterns for handicrafts *. A little while later, a collection of Lithuanian sash patterns was published with an introduction by Paulius Galaunė.* In the middle of the 20th century and later, examples in Lithuania were given in the weaving pattern books Woven carpets, Fabrics, Weaving patterns and others.* Embroidery examples, common to all Europe, called desinėliai,* were spreading. There were fabric pictures in different issues of periodics.

According to field research, neighbouring weavers shared weaving schemes. Pictures of created patterns were made of sticks and dots.* Besides, one could buy the desinėliai in stores or in markets. They were drawn on squared paper with colours indicated.* So some schemes were created and spread by countrywomen; weavers in markets bought others.

In time, the interaction of folk and professional art grew stronger. They were connected with the help of books. On the other hand, local creative processes were still going on.