The Croatian interlace or Croatian wattle, known as the or in Croatian, is a type of interlace, most characteristic for its three-ribbon pattern. It is one of the most often used patterns of Croatian pre-Romanesque art and architecture.

Overview

It is found on and within churches as well as

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

built in

early medieval The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Middle Ages of Europ ...

Duchy of Croatia The Duchy of Croatia (Modern ; also Duchy of the Croats, Modern ; ; ) was a medieval state that was established by White Croats who migrated into the area of the former Roman province of Dalmatia 7th century AD. Throughout its existence the Duch ...

and Kingdom of Croatia between the 9th and beginning of the 12th century, with examples counting in "hundreds", making Croatia country with highest concentration of interlace in general in Europe. The interlaces in Croatia are dominated by double and triple ribbons. The ornamental strings were sometimes grouped together with animal and herbal figures. Most representative examples of inscriptions embellished with the interlace include the

Baška tablet Baška tablet (, ) is one of the first monuments containing an inscription in the Croatian recension of the Church Slavonic language, dating from . On it Croatian ethnonym and king Demetrius Zvonimir are mentioned for the first time in native Cr ...

Baptismal font of Prince Višeslav Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

and the

Branimir Inscription The Branimir inscription () is the oldest preserved monument containing an inscription defining a Croatian medieval ruler as a duke of Croats – '. The inscription was originally a part of templon of a church in Šopot at Benkovac built by Duk ...

. Other notable examples are located near

Knin Knin () is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka (Croatia), Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagreb and Split, Croatia, Split. ...

, in Ždrapanj and Žavić by the Bribir settlement, Rižinice near

Solin Solin is a town and a suburb of Split, in Split-Dalmatia county, Croatia. It is situated right northeast of Split, on the Adriatic Sea and the river Jadro. Solin developed on the location of ancient city of ''Salona'', which was the capital o ...

and in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

and

Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...

Origin

There exits scholarly debate about the origin and identity of the regional three-ribbon interlace, some considering it as Croatian "national expression", other arguing Lombardic influence (introduced by the

Patriarchate of Aquileia The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an episcopal see and ecclesiastical province in northeastern Italy, originally centered in the ancient city of Aquileia, situated near the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It emerged in the 4th century as a m ...

), but such exclusive models are problematic.

Modern

Croatia has a civil and military decoration called the

Order of the Croatian Interlace The Order of the Croatian Interlace or Order of the Early Croatian three-strand pattern () is the seventeenth most important medal given by the Republic of Croatia. The order was founded on 1 April 1995. The medal is awarded for advancement of pro ...

Gallery

File:Greda i zabat s natpisom kneza Branimira 879.jpg, Inscription of duke Branimir, 879–892 File:Archeological Museum of Zadar.jpg, Pluteus from the 9th century File:Archeological museum of Zadar 7.jpg, Pluteus from the 9th century File:10cent pleter Drzislav.jpg, Inscription of king Stephen Držislav, mid-10th century File:Archeological museum of Zadar 26.jpg, Part of pluteus from the 11th century File:Reljef splitska krstionica.jpg, Font from the late-11th century (most likely a depiction of

Petar Krešimir IV Petar (, sr-Cyrl, Петар) is a South Slavic masculine given name, their variant of the Biblical name Petros cognate to Peter. Derivative forms include Pero, Pejo, Pera, Perica, Petrica, Periša. Feminine equivalent is Petra. People mo ...

or Demetrius Zvonimir) File:Bascanska ploca.jpg,

File:EscudoUstacha.svg, Emblem of the

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...

, a former fascist and ultranationalist organization, as displayed on the state symbols of the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

File:Seal of Armed Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Croatia.png, Croatian interlace bordering the Seal of Armed Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Croatia File:Križ na ušću Vuke u Dunav u Vukovaru.jpg, Croatian interlace on the

Cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

at the confluence of the Vuka and

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

Vukovar Vukovar (; sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, , ) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern Regions of Croatia, regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka (river), Vuka and the Danube. Vukova ...

References

Medieval history of Croatia Culture of Croatia Decorative knots Stone sculptures in Croatia Visual motifs {{Croatia-hist-stub

Overview

Origin

Modern

Gallery

See also

References