Creating historical values: the material aspect and the cultural context of the jewellery of the parish church of Trakai

Straipsnio objektas – iki šiol netyrinėti Trakų vėlyvųjų viduramžių juvelyriniai dirbiniai. Įvertinus tyrime turimus medžiaginius šaltinius ir rašytinių liudijimų stoką, pasirenkama formalioji juvelyrikos analizė, kuri pildoma interpretacija apie dirbinių kultūrinį kontekstą. Taip siekiama juvelyriką interpretuoti kaip istorinį Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės (toliau – LDK) vėlyvųjų viduramžių amatų ir kasdienės kultūros šaltinį.The object of this paper is medieval jewellery from the Trakai parish church, which still remains the least studied in the scholarly field. By analysing the material aspect and the cultural context of the object, the paper tries to examine its historical value for the studies of the crafts and customary culture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the Late Medieval Period. First of all, rings are analysed, concentrating on their form, production technique and, especially, function. It is worth mentioning a ring with a crystal eye, whose size and construction, as well as its rich decoration and luxurious materials enable us to hypothesize about its function as a ring-reliquary. The flat decorated surface of another ring would supposedly point to its usage as a signet ring. The group of earrings is interesting by their luxurious materials, high craftsmanship and forms reminiscent of the Balkan traditions of the craft. Meanwhile, the analysis of the cultural context of the jewellery reveals its “multicultural” aspect, when the traditions of the craft from different cultures forgather. Moreover, a cross, found in the presbytery of the church with Victorious Cross iconography and Catholic and Orthodox symbols enables us to think about a complex bi-confessional reality and manifestation of the Church Union politics in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the Middle Ages