The folk cradle, which reached the peak of its practical use and aesthetic diversity in the 19th-century Slovenia, is examined beyond its materiality in this thesis. It is understood as a point of intersection between material culture, art, and folk belief. Based on the analysis of cradle collections in museums across Slovenia, the research provides insights into the distribution and occurrence of visual motifs. People depicted what they valued, considered essential, sacred, or protective. Ornaments such as pentagrams, rosettes, religious motifs, and other symbols—presented in diverse colors and variations—carry rich symbolic meanings, which this study seeks to explore and interpret. Each museum collection is presented individually; the depicted motifs, their appearance, and frequency are examined. The analysis of all collections from major museums provides insight into the regional and local diversity of cradles across Slovenia.
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