Basket Motifs
Кошики
Basket Motifs
Кошики
Another scevomorphic motif found on pysanky is the basket, or koshyk (кошик). They are seen occasionally, and have various shapes. Traditional baskets in Ukraine vary from region to region, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes:
Baskets on pysanky are of two types: stylized (on folk pysanky) and realistic (on more modern pysanky). The latter have become popular in Kosmach and Illintsi in recent years, and are usually Easter baskets with a candle in them, and sometimes a paska (easter bread) or other items.
Stylized baskets can be found on folk pysanky, like these from Binyashevsky, both called “Koshyky (Кошики)” or “Baskets.”
The design on the left is a traditional one from Central Halychyna, and on the right from Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia).
The koshyk/basket seems to be a motif rather than a symbol. It is a later-day description of an older symbol, or of a part of an older symbol. In the case of the two traditional examples above, it is a renaming of portions of older solar symbols: a svarha and tripod.
A-Tisket, A-Tasket