Vilnius Ethnic Culture Centre, which has been caring for the tradition of straw gardens for many years and seeks to acquaint about this phenomenon of Lithuanian folk art not only in Lithuania but also around the world, has published a book entitled “Sodai. Lithuanian Straw Gardens”.
Lithuanian readers are already familiar with the book "Sodo rėda", which tells about traditional Lithuanian straw gardens: their archetypes, sacredness and applicability. There are plenty of sodai examples here, and experienced straw garden makers are featured. At the initiative of the Vilnius Ethnic Culture Centre, the publication was updated and translated into English.
The articles in this book highlight and reveal the special character of this phenomenon of visual culture. They analyse the symbolism and ornamental form of straw gardens in local and cross-cultural contexts and examine the genesis, development, and circumstances of their creation. The authors take different points of view and interpret the history and symbolism of sodai in various ways. The material published in this volume opens new avenues for a better and deeper knowledge of sodai, encouraging international attention and further research. This book is richly illustrated with examples of sodai and includes an instructive diagram of how to make a straw garden.
The material published in the book will provide an opportunity for their further research, scientific publication, cognition and popularization around the world. This book is the first comprehensive publication in English about the unique tradition of Lithuanian straw gardens, the nomination of which is being prepared for submission to UNESCO.
The publication is available in the e-shop of the Vilnius Ethnic Culture Centre.
