fir-tree pattern, teeth, little rakes, angular edge
What are fir-tree motifs, teeth, and little rakes?
These are small angular motifs common in textiles, sashes, and wood decoration. The fir-tree motif resembles a branch or tree, teeth create border rhythm, and little rakes can recall the teeth of a work tool.
They are less monumental than the sunburst or cross, but they are very important everyday signs in Lithuanian patterns.
Plant and greenery
The fir-tree pattern can be read as a stylized branch, greenery, or tree sign. It connects with spruce, forest, and the symbolism of life's continuity.
Because the ornament is highly simplified, every fir-tree motif should not be explained directly as a mythological tree. Sometimes it is simply a convenient geometric plant motif.
Teeth as an edge
Teeth often work as a border. They create boundary, rhythm, and graphic tension, so they can be linked with a protective edge function.
Such small repeated motifs show that Lithuanian ornament symbolism lies not only in large signs, but also in the ordering of a surface. The herringbone or fir-tree pattern is one of the most common motifs in woven sashes and textiles, while teeth and little rakes are usually placed along sash edges as a border that frames and protects the main pattern.
The little rake and agriculture
The name little rake allows the motif to be connected with work, earth, and harvest. It is not only a plant form, but also a sign of human labor.
On a modern page this motif should be shown together with textiles, sashes, and field symbolism, because then it becomes understandable without excessive mystification.