ANGELS AS AN OLD FOLK SCULPTURE

Self-taught village craftsmen created sculptures of various saints in the fifties of the 20th century. They were usually placed on country roads, chapels, built in homesteads or cemeteries, decorated in churches. Over time, the interior of the churches changed, the chapels collapsed, and the sculptures were preserved at home. Pranas Genys the first founder of Samogitian museum „Alka“ traveled around Samogitia and collected exhibits and donations for the museum. After World War II, the collection of folk art was supplemented with exhibits collected during expeditions and donated by individuals. Thus, the accumulation of collection started of various sacred sculptures. There are about eighty sculptures of angels as they place special meaning in the museum. Samogitians believed that each person has their own guardian angel, who accompanies him for life. Sculptures of angels are usually components of Pieta, St. Isidor, or St. Rocco. They are usually flying, kneeling, standing, piously placing their hands on their chests or holding a candle in their hands angels complemented and visually enhanced the entire composition of the chapel. The oldest sculpture of the collection in the museum is "Angel" made in 1704. Another sculpture of an angel by the same master without a marked date was probably created in the same year. Both sculptures stood in the chapel of Patausalė (Telšiai district), which was demolished after 1863 uprising. Most of the sculptures in the collection date back in the first decades of the 19th-20th century. Among many names of sculpture masters, there are just a few that are known such as Kazimieras Mockus, Kazys Varnelis, Adomas Einikis, Vaitkus.

The exhibition is organized by senior museum specialist Vida Rimkuvienė and museum digitising specialist Loreta Norvaišienė