An ancient symbolic art form has gained Ukraine its latest place on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.
Crimea's 'Ornek' Art Wins UNESCO Listing
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These earrings and bracelet are intricate examples of ornek, a Ukrainian art form practiced by Crimean Tatars.
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Ornek sewing on Crimean Tatar items. On December 16, UNESCO included ornek on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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Ethnic Tatar women sewing textile items with ornek patterns in Crimea in 2004. Ornek is a system of artistic symbolism that is used in embroidery, weaving, pottery, engraving, jewelery, wood carving, and glass and wall painting.
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A painted glass ornek ornament. With Islamic law forbidding the representation of human figures, the symbolism of ornek was traditionally used to tell stories of lineage and culture. In the bottom of this ornament, an almond represents an unmarried girl.
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Clay vessels decorated with ornek ornaments. According to experts in the art form, every flower and other ornament in an ornek artwork has meaning, which together form a readable narrative. There are around 35 distinct symbols used in ornek.
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An embroidered strip of fabric designed to hold socks in place. Some ornek symbols can be combined, for example a tulip (representing a man) depicted inside a rose (a married woman) indicates the love between husband and wife.
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Clay jugs richly decorated with an ornek storyline. As well as the creation of ornek, the understanding of the symbolism of the art was included in the UNESCO inscription.
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A fez decorated with ornek art. Respected craftswoman Adavie Efendieva, who died in 1944, said of the detailed storylines in her ornek art, "My thoughts are in my ornaments."
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A needle pad embroidered with ornek designs. Craftspeople are free to choose the color and size of the symbols, but Ornek art adheres to standardized designs.
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A schoolboy in Kyiv drawing an ornek pattern. The artistic tradition nearly died out under Soviet rule.
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Ornek plates on display at an exhibition in 2018. Since the 1990s, efforts have been made to safeguard the meaning of the art form, with more than 30 research expeditions sent to Crimea to interview elderly people about ornek symbology.
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A lantern with ornek windows. In the successful application for the UNESCO inscription, the authors note that inclusion on the list will focus attention on ornek's "symbolic meaning rather than its role of merely a beautiful decoration."
