The lovely Kristina in Vilnius has sent me a number of works by Lithuanian photographer Rimantas Dichavičius (1937- ), but I have been delinquent in sharing them with you. Yes, it’s an oversight which will soon be corrected. This particular work is displayed on a postcard measuring about 8½ inches by 6 inches (about 21.5 cm x 15 cm). No title is given, but it is part of the photographer’s “Visions Cycle.”

Kristina describes the work as “an allusion to an amber castle under the sea, (which is a) well-known plot here.” It’s the plot of the Lithuanian folk legend of Jūratė and Kastytis, she a mermaid, he a fisherman.

Until I am able to post more works by Dichavičius, you can pass the time admiring another postcard from Kristina of a Lithuanian folk dancer.

My young friend Silvija in Lithuania had this card for some time and became quite attached to it, seeing something of herself in it, but ultimately decided to send it to me for my birthday last month — well, sort of; the occasion of my birthday reminded her to send me something.  This piece is by Luka Vaitkevičienė and is called Balta mišrainė — literally, “white salad”, a traditional dish which makes use of peas.  The card includes a little rhyme, for which Silvi provided a translation. As always, you get to see the front of the card, but the message is just for me.

According to the description (which is in Lithuanian), this postcard is one of a “Lithuanian Folk Clothing” series. Kristina, who sent me this postcard from Vilnius, confirms this: “Kind of (an) old postcard, produced in 1991, in a series (of) Lithuanian national clothing, which isn’t focused on pretty faces but can show quite pretty legs. (These are) authentic clothes from the mid-19th Century in the southwest of Lithuania.”  Sure, her legs look good now, but once she stands up they’ll be hidden again.

This particular card shows clothing from Zanavykai (in Lithuanian, Žemaitija). You can see more examples of folk clothing from Zanavykai and from the rest of Lithuania in the article National Costume by Teresė Jurkuvienė, part of the Anthology of Lithuanian Ethnoculture hosted at Vilnius University.

Kristina sent this card, published in 1979, of a Lithuanian folk dancer. She posted it from Vilnius, but she had to go to Russia to get it first.  She writes: “Chris: I was really amazed discovering this set of cards.  A (well)-known Lithuanian group but I’ve never seen these cards in my country. And captions in three (!!) foreign languages (English, French, and German — Ed.)! Kind of (a) special feeling for foreign tourists or a souvenir.

“Anyway, it was a special group to (be able to) show their programme abroad.  No idea how the dancers used to be selected, but I guess they had to be not only well-trained, but have pretty faces….”

I’ve not seen Kristina, but somehow I feel sure she meets at least half the troupe’s criteria.