The coat of arms of Lithuania Vytis – a mounted armoured knight depicted on a red shield – has already entered its seventh century. The Lithuanian coat of arms is one of the oldest national coats of arms in Europe. The portrait of a mounted duke that was originally used on the ducal seals of the GDL at the end of the 16th century later became the coat of arms of the duchy. The coat of arms was forged on coins and engraved in stamps; it also appeared in the armorials of the Western Europe. The Vytis decorated gravestones, the interiors of churches and palaces, portals, tapestries, vessels and other items representing the state.
The album consists of more than 550 of the most arresting representations of the Vytis – from the oldest coins to the badges of Sąjūdis.
This book illustrates the oeuvre of the unique artist Gintautas Gavenavičius (1960–2004), who was until his untimely death, according to Valentinas Antanavičius, probably the only artist in the world to have created original sculptures from unbroken flax for two decades.
Authors of texts
Aleksandra Aleksandravičiūtė
Viktoras Liutkus
Ramutė Rachlevičiūtė