Food stamp issued by Vilnius City magistrate (3)

The same symbols of Vilnius appear in official Polish works portraying the city, but instead of the Columns of Gediminas, the Polish eagle is featured next to Gediminas’ Castle or the Gates of Dawn. In official Polish interwar art, Vilnius was associated with several main narratives. The centre of a voivodeship, Vilnius was depicted as a city that was central to the Polish identity. Food stamps designed by Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) show the city’s coat of arms with the Polish eagle and the coats of arms of other Polish cities. The past of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is perceived as an integral part of Polish culture. Besides heraldic symbols, food stamps also bore images of notable historical figures who contributed to the flourishing of Polish culture, Vilnius, and all of Poland. In this way, an image of the city was emphasised that respected history and tradition. The design of food stamps can also be seen as reflecting the unstable political situation. Taurus, the symbol of Kaunas, also appeared next to the coats of arms of Polish cities in 1919.

Text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.

The same symbols of Vilnius appear in official Polish works portraying the city, but instead of the Columns of Gediminas, the Polish eagle is featured next to Gediminas’ Castle or the Gates of Dawn. In official Polish interwar art, Vilnius was associated with several main narratives. The centre of a voivodeship, Vilnius was depicted as a city that was central to the Polish identity. Food stamps designed by Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936) show the city’s coat of arms with the Polish eagle and the coats of arms of other Polish cities. The past of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is perceived as an integral part of Polish culture. Besides heraldic symbols, food stamps also bore images of notable historical figures who contributed to the flourishing of Polish culture, Vilnius, and all of Poland. In this way, an image of the city was emphasised that respected history and tradition. The design of food stamps can also be seen as reflecting the unstable political situation. Taurus, the symbol of Kaunas, also appeared next to the coats of arms of Polish cities in 1919.

Text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė

Source: Law firm Valiunas Ellex art album KAUNAS–VILNIUS / 1918–1945 (2021). Compilers and text authors Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė
Expositions: "1918-1945 / Kaunas-Vilnius", 27 August 2020 – 21 August 2021, Lithuanian Art Centre TARTLE (Užupio St. 40, Vilnius). Curators Dovilė Barcytė and Ieva Burbaitė.