Motanka Ukrainian Handmade Unique CollectibleTraditional Amulet Doll Folk  Talisman Ukraine

Motanki are ancient family charms of Ukrainians. Such dolls represent the unity of family ties of generations.

The first knotted dolls, as they are sometimes called motanki, appeared approximately 5,000 years ago. Motanka is a symbol of good and well-being, a symbol of hope for the best and a strong sacred object. And it does not matter at all whether the doll was created on the fly for fun for a child, or as an important amulet or a gift for a holiday.

The very name of the doll - "motanka" comes from the concept of "winding", and the general appearance of such a doll is a human figure, usually a woman or a child, made of pieces of fabric. Parts of the body of such a doll were connected by knots. Each such doll remains a unique creation of the master. Of course, in ancient times, the motanka doll performed an important function of a talisman and a talisman for the family

As such, the doll did not have the usual expression and facial features. On the faces of some, a cross was embroidered or laid out with threads - an ancient symbol of the sun among the Slavs. There is no exact definition of why Motanka dolls did not have shocked faces, but most scientists and researchers agree that the eyes are a kind of "door" between the real and the other world. The evil eye was always feared, and there was also a belief that all kinds of evil could be strengthened through the doll's eyes.

In Ukrainian culture, motanka is a symbol of fertility, prosperity and a talisman for the family. Such dolls very often became real family heirlooms and were passed down from generation to generation.

The real motanka is made without the use of seams. When making a doll, craftsmen wind or wrap it, and for fastening they use ribbons and threads, which are simply wrapped around the parts and fixed with knots.