Biblical plots in dukaches

Dukach is not just a simple decoration like a brooch or a locket.There are many reasons to assume that the owners, to some extent, attributed certain magic and protective features to their dukaches. Particularly, the vast majority of researchers of Ukrainian traditional antiquities (I.Spaskyj, F.Vovk, M.Sumtsov), including contemporary ones (V.Fisun, Y.Kovalenko, O.Samkov) agreed that under the influence of ideological changes and aesthetic tastes, coils were transformed into dukaches. The following statements can be a proof of this theory:

· In scientific materials of 1914 dukaches with the image of coils were mentioned;

· Dukaches, that had medallions with religious images on them, were very popular;

· Dukaches, in which the main Christian symbol - the cross - was fastened to the bow instead of a medallion, were widespread.

A lot of dukaches, which have images of Christian Biblical themes depicted on them, have survived up to this day. It is believed that such a kind of dukaches appeared due to the Western European Christian religious table medals, which often served as the basis for dukach medallions.

Medallion of Dukach with the “Annunciation” plot*

* The copy of the medallion of the unidentified Western European original ХVІІ medal “Annunciation”, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko:

Photo on the left is a dukach, the bow is made of silver, gilding, glass, the medallion is made of brass, gilding, second half of the 19th century, Chernihiv region; Photo on the right is the Dukach Medallion, the 19th century, brass, gilding, copy.

I.Spaskyj points out that you could come across dukaches with such medallions in Poltava, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Voronezh (Russia).

In the ХVІ and the beginning of the ХVІІ century table religious medals were very popular in Germany, Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic. In the ХVІІ – ХVІІІ centuries religious medals were made by Amsterdam masters for the Armenian colony. As a result, due to constant links between the Armenian colonies in Europe, these medals came to Lviv, in which, as it is known, many Armenians lived. Subsequently, baptismal and wedding medals are becoming popular in Europe, which became widespread in Poland. Even in the ХІХ century such medals in Poland were still relevant, although they were of a more souvenir character.

Medallions of Dukaches - copy of the baptismal medal J.Hen the Senior **

** Medallions of Dukaches - a copy of the J. Hen the Senior’s baptismal medal, the scene - "Circumcision of Christ in the Temple", from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko:Photo on the left – 19th century, brass, gilding;

Photo on the right - a copy of the 19th century Dukach, silver.

I.Spasskyj considers that dukaches with religious subjects on Western European medals were very popular during the times of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and formed a "new etiquette" among the Cossack leaders. According to the researcher, the most common forms of such “master dukaches” have survived in Chernihiv region. It is known that Hetman Ivan Mazepa had a golden dukach with a baptismal medal of the ХVІІ century made by S. Dadler in 1630, which depicted the Baptism of Christ in the waters of Jordan. In 1759 the last hetman Cyril Rozumovsky presented this dukach together with earrings to the wife of his subordinate Romanovsky and, as he wrote in the letter, “it was bought form Mirovicheva alongside with other things, and, as you see it, Mazepa gave it to her”.

Medallions of Dukaches with the image of the biblical plot "The Last Supper" 3*

3* Medallions of the Voronezh Dukaches with a picture of the biblical plot "The Last Supper", the 19th century, from the collections of Oksana Chaus (photo on the left) and Yurii Kovalenko (photo on the right).

Very few dukaches in which medallions were the original Western European medals have survived up until present days. As a rule, these were dukaches of ХVІІ - the beginning of ХVІІ centuries made of precious metals (gold, silver) for the Ukrainian noblemen. Lots of such dukaches could be earlier found in Kyiv Pecherska Lavra, which were brought there by hermits. Such dukaches were used as a locket decoration of the icons. It is shown by a great treasure of Kyiv Pecherska Lavra which was made by its hermits in 1717 in order to prevent it from the seizure made by the Moscow Tzar Petr 1. This discovery shows what Lavra treasury was filled with at the beginning of the 18th century. After a while, in one of the descriptions of the Lavra difference (1778), it is indicated that among the adornments which decorated the icons were: "... golden ducat (dukach is meant here - author's note) with Circumcision, weighing 5 zolotniks; Ducat with the Epiphany, weighing 8 zolotniks; Ducat with the Crucifix, weighing 3 zolotniks ... ". In another document dating 1792, they describe a ducat weighing 5.5 zolotniks, one side of which had the scene "Baptism of Christ" depicted on it, and the other one had "Crucifixion" scene depicted on it.

"Worship of the Magi" on the medal of Sebastien Dadler, 1635 4*

4 * Copies of the Medallions "Worship of the Magi" from the medal of Sebastien Dadler, can be found with the Chernihiv bows. In the Hermitage (RF) collection of medals there is such a medallion with a shabby rim, the origin of which is unknown.

In the course of time, under the influence of different factors dukaches were remelted into some other things by the servants of Lavra. Examples of religious Western European medals that have survived in the dukaches are currently can be largely found in the Hermitage (Russian Federation) funds. At the same time, today we have the opportunity to see dukaches with replicas and copies of those medals, which were made by local goldsmiths some time ago.

The presence of a large number of copies of such medals is primarily due to the fact that the quantity and, it is not improbable, the cost of original medals could not meet the evident demand among women. Therefore, Ukrainian goldsmiths managed to reproduce such medals in their own way, making the supply-demand balance acceptable. They used the techniques of casting and minting images on thin sheets of metal with further straightening and mounting of the composed medal. For that purpose they had special castings from the original medal (or from its existing casting) stamps because in order to produce a large number of monolithic medals of a high quality, it was necessary to have special equipment that could provide high pressure of stamps. Such equipment, as a rule, could only be found in mints. As I.Spazskyj notes, in the ХVІІ - the beginning of the ХVІІІ centuries the Ukrainian goldsmiths used such stamps not only for making dukaches, but also for placing images while manufacturing some other things, such as the provisions of gospels, sacred dishes, storerooms, and so on. It is very interesting to find out that the quality of such medal-medallions made by goldsmiths in the XVII - the beginning of the ХVІІІ century was higher than of those made in the ХІХ – the beginning of the XIX century. This can be explained by the fact that in the ХVІІ - the beginning of ХІVІІ century there were more professional jewelers who were in charge of doing this, who also took order made by the noblemen, while in the XIX century this was mainly done by village and town goldsmiths with the help of more simple tools and more primitive jewelry forms. There are also dukaches with medallions having biblical images made by local craftsmen and their stories did not have direct connection with Western medallion originals. Below you can see the dukaches with the most common Biblical plots:

1. Announcement:

This was the most common plot on biblical theme among dukaches. Dukaches with this biblical plot have been preserved in practically all the regions up to this day. Notably, I.Spasskyj points out that the dukach with the "Annunciation" plot was found in Lubny, Nizhyn and there are Voronezh panagis.

Dukach with the image of the “Annunciation” plot

from an unidentified Western European medal 5*

5* Reverse side of the dukach of the Pryluky type, first half of the ХІХ th century, Poltava region, brass, gilding, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko.

Medallion of Dukach "Annunciation" Shchukin's work 6*

6* Medallion of Dukach depicting the biblical plot "Annunciation", made by Shchukin Serhiy Ivanovich, the end of the XIX century, from the collection of Oksana Chaus. The last in a row image shows the reverse side of the medallion with the workman’s mark.

Dukach with the biblical plot "Annunciation" 7*

7* Dukach with the image of the biblical plot "Annunciation", Chernihiv region, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko

2. Worship of the Magi:

Dukach with the biblical story "Worship of the Magi" 8*

8* Medallion of Dukach, Dukach with the image of the biblical plot "Worship of the Magi" from the unidentified Western European medal of the seventeenth century, the nineteenth century, Chernihiv region, brass, gilding, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko.

I.Spasskyj points out that the medallions of dukach, depicted as in the photo above, could be found together with the bows of Vermeyevsky, Nizhyn and Ljubensky types, and could also be found in the village of Vlasivka of the Kremenchuh district (Poltava region). Dukaches depicting the "Worship of the Magi" with the baptismal or 1635 New Year Medal of S. Dadler are also known.

Dukach with the biblical story "Worship of the Magi" 9*

9* A double-sided dukach with a picture of the plot "Worship of the Magi" on one side, the front side, the XVIII century, Poltava region, silver, from the funds of the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine. This particular dukach was exhibited at the exhibition "Sun on the Necklace" in Kyiv National Historical Museum, opened on November 22, 2018. I.Spaiskyj in his book "Dukates and Dukachi of Ukraine" mistakenly points out that after World War II it was lost. A scientific employee of the department of funds, Natalia Smirnov, discovered this copy while working on a stock collection of dukaches. According to the documents, in 1946 the surviving part of the collection of museum dukaches was returned from the evacuation from the State Bank of the USSR, and this copy was found among that part of the collection.

3. Circumcision of Christ in the temple:

As a rule, in Europe this plot was peculiar to baptismal medals. I.Spassky points out that in Lavra treasure of 1717 the dukach with the "Circumcision of Christ" from the Kittel Gold Medal Chapel was found. Up to this day many dukaches with the copies of baptized Johann Hen’s the Elder (who worked in 1634 – 1663) have survived. I.Spasskyj points out that one of the medals made by J.Hen the Elder, which was once a dukach component, was found in the 1950s in the village of Andrianovska, Krasnodar region, and it is currently stored in the Hermitage (Russian Federation) funds. Also, the researcher mentions dukaches with such a medal that came from Poltava and Chernihiv regions.

Dukach with the plot "Circumcision of Christ in the Temple" 10*

10* Dukach with a picture of the religious plot "Circumcision of Christ in the Temple" on the medallions (the copy of the scene from John H. Elder's medal) from the funds of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve (NKPHCR). The specified ducats were exhibited at the "Sun on the Necklace" exhibition in Kyiv National Historical Museum, which opened on November 22, 2018.

Dukach with the image of "Circumcision of Christ in the Temple" 11*

11* Dukach with a picture of the religious plot "Circumcision of Christ in the Temple" on the medallion, a copy of the dukach of the nineteenth century, Chernihiv region, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko.

Dukach with the image of "Circumcision of Christ in the Temple" 12*

12* Nizhynsky type dukach with a picture of "Circumcision of Christ in the Temple" scene on the medallion, the nineteenth century, Chernihiv region, silver, gilding, glass, from the collection of photographs by Nikolai Litvinenko.

4. Baptism of Jesus Christ in the waters of Jordan:

It is known that in dukaches with such a plot there were baptized medals (and their copies) made by S.Dadler, J.Hen the Elder and J.Kitte. I.Spasskyj notes that in the 1950's the silver golden medallion of J.Hen's work was found on the territory of Andrianivska stanitsa, Krasnodar (the territory of the Russian Federation) and was brought to Hermitage in 1958. It is known that the dukaches with the medals made by J.Hen and their copies were worn in Poltava and Chernihiv region.

Medallions of dukaches with a plot

"Baptism in the waters of the Jordan" 13*

13* Medallions of dukaches from the J.Hen’s baptismal medal "Baptism in the waters of Jordan" from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko: the photo on the left is a copy of the 19th century dukach, silver; photo on the right - medallion of the dukach of the nineteenth century, brass, gilding.

5. The Last Supper:

A lot of dukaches with a Biblical plot "The Last Supper" depicted on the medallion have survived till nowadays. According to the Biblical story, the secret supper was the last supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples (apostles).

Dukach with the picture of the "The Last Supper" scene 14*

14 * Dukach with a picture of "The Last Supper" scene, a copy from the original dukach of the XIX century, Voronezh, silver, gilding, glass, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko. The image on the medallion is a copy of the Eastern European religious medal.

Dukach depicting "The Last Supper" 15*

15* Dukach with a picture of "The Last Supper" scene, the 2nd half of the XIX century Chernihiv region, silver, glass, from the collection of Vladyslav Pechersky. The peculiarity of this dukach is that the medallion is not a casting of a well-known medal, but it was hand-cut by a goldsmith on the rubbed side of the silver ruble of the Russian emperor Nicholas I. Such a ruble was issued during 1841-1848.

Dukach with the picture of "The Last Supper" scene 16*

16* The Voronezh type dukach with the depiction of "The Last Supper" scene, the middle of the XIX century, from the funds of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve (NKPHCR). These particular dukaches were exhibited during the "Sun on the Necklace" exhibition in Kyiv National Historical Museum, which opened on November 22, 2018.

Dukach depicting "The Last Supper" 17*

17* The Voronezh type dukach with the depiction of "The Last Supper" scene, the middle of the XIX century, brass, gilding, from the collection of Oksana Chaus.

6. Foot-washing:

Up to this day some single copies of dukaches with the depiction of "The Foot Washing" scene have been preserved. According to the Christian doctrine, during the secret supper, Jesus Christ washed his disciples’ feet and wiped them with a towel that he was girded with.

Dukach depicting “The Foot Washing”scene 18*

18 * Dukach with the image of “The Foot Washing”scene, the end of the ХVIII-early ХІХ centuries, Slobozhanschyna, brass, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko. A copy of the West European medal of the XVII and ХVIII centuries.

7. The Holy Passion:

Dukach depicting “The Holy Passion” 19*

19* A very rare dukach depicting “The Holy Passion” theme, ХІХ century, brass, gilding, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko. On the front side there is a picture of the suffering Christ, on the opposite side you can see an angel bearing the cross - an instrument of passion. The picture is a copy of J.Kittel medal.

As I. Spasskyj notes, dukaches with the copies of the image of the suffering Christ from the medals of Dadler and Kittelin were found on the territory of Chernihiv region.

Dukach with the image of "The Crucifixion of Christ" 20*

20* A very rare dukach with an old image of "The Crucifixion of Christ" plot (crucified Christ is depicted in a shirt), XVIII century, brass, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko.

Dukach with the image of "The Crucifixion of Christ" 21*

* 21 Dukach with a picture of "The Crucifixion of Christ" on the reverse side, the 2nd part of the ХVІІ century, Poltava region, silver, from the funds of the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine. This particular dukach was exhibited at the exhibition "The Sun on the Necklace" at Kyiv National Historical Museum, which opened on November 22, 2018. I.Spaskyj in his book "Dukates and Dukaches of Ukraine" mistakenly points out that after World War II it was lost. Also, the researcher suggests that this dukach is very old and cast from the West European medal of the XVII century.

Dukach with the image of Golgotha 22*

22*A very rare type of dukach with the image of Golgotha, XIX century, brass, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko.

8. Descent from the Cross:

Dukach with the image of "Descent from the Cross " 23*

23* Dukach with the image of the Biblical scene "Descent from the Cross", the 2nd half of the ХІХ century, Kharkiv region, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko.

Dukach with the image of "Descent from the Cross " 24*

24* Dukach (fragment of Dukach) with the Biblical scene "Descent from the Cross", the end of the ХVІІІ - the first half of the ХІХ centuries, from the funds of the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine. This dukach was exhibited at the exhibition "The Sun on the Necklace" at Kyiv National Historical Museum, which opened on November 22, 2018.

In the photos shown above, medallions are copies of an unidentified original. I.Spaskyij mentions the presence of dukaches with a medallion that was attached to a rectangular bow with cherubim.

9. Resurrection of Jesus Christ:

The plot of “Resurrection of Jesus Christ” was very popular among German medalists in the ХVI-ХVIІ centuries. It is known that in the Lavra treasure of 1717 there was a dukach with a golden religious medal on the topic of "Resurrection" by J.Hen. You can find medallions with the “Resurrection” plot with different types of bows, most of them from Chernihiv. I.Spaskyj points out that such a dukach can be found in Tahanroh (RF), as well as there are Voronezh panagiiky with such a plot.

Dukach with the depiction of the plot "Resurrection" 25*

25 * Dukach with the image of the Biblical plot "Resurrection" on the medallion, from the funds of the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve (NKPHCR). These particular dukaches were exhibited at "The Sun on the Necklace" exhibition in Kyiv National Historical Museum, which opened on November 22, 2018.

Dukach with the depiction of the plot "Resurrection" 26*

26* Dukach with a picture of the Biblical plot "Resurrection" on the medallion, Chernihiv region, the nineteenth century, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko: dukach on the left - brass, gilding, dukach on the right - silver.

Dukach with the depiction of the plot “Resurrection” 27*

27* Dukaches with the image of the Biblical plot “Resurrection” from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko

Dukach with the depiction of the plot “Resurrection” 28*

28* Dukach with the image of the Biblical plot “Resurrection”, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko: the photo on the left shows a dukach of the 1st half of the ХVІІІ century, Kharkiv region, brass; the photo on the right - ХVІІІ - early ХІХ century, Kharkiv region, brass.

10. The Epiphany:

Dukaches with “The Epiphany” plot were spread on a fairly large territory. They could be found both on the western lands, for example Volyn, and on the eastern territories where Ukrainians lived (Voronezh). Some single samples with such a plot up have survived up to this day.

Dukach with the depiction of “The Epiphany” 29*

29 * Dukach with a medallion on “The Epiphany" plot, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko. Dukach depicted on the left on the black background - Chernihiv region, the one on the right on the green background - Dnipropetrovsk region. The image on the medallion is a copy of the unidentified Western European original of the XVII-XVIII centuries.

Dukaches with a picture on the medallion, as in the photo above, could also be found in Volyn region. In particular, I.Spaskyij indicates that one such dukach comes from the village Shumske.

Dukach with the depiction of “The Epiphany” 30*

30 * Dukach with “The Epiphany" scene, ХІХ century, brass, from the collection of Yurii Kovalenko. The medallion is a copy of the German religious medal of the ХVІІ and early ХVІІІ centuries made by an unidentified medallist.

I.Spaskyj points out that the dukaches of the medallions which were shown on the photos above, could be met with the bows of Kursk, Kharkiv and Poltava types. In particular, one dukach came from the village of Rublevka, Bohodukhiv district (Kharkiv region).

Separately I.Spaskyj describes the dukach with the Voronezh ribbon in which the image of the Epiphany was dipped on a circle rimmed with ringlets.

Yaroslava Kovalenko
PhD in History

Other publications:

Award Medals in Dukach Adornments

Dukach is a signet that symbolizes Ukrainian heritage

The medallions among dukaches: the mental and the earthy

Yahnusok - dukach with "a heart"

Volyn Dukaches

Earrings – Ukrainian folk adornments the second half of XIX-early XX century

Dukaches of South-Eastern Slobozhanshchina: Dnipropetrovsk Region