A wooden statue from Poljubinj

"Petkov bogc" statue

Another part of the rich history collection of the Tolmin Museum is a statue known as "Petkov bogc". It is a 140 cm tall wooden sculpture of Christ with arms crossed and tied in front. The statue was brought to the museum in 1961 by the then museum employee Marija Rutar. It came from Poljubinj where it had been kept in a corner niche of a house known across the village as "Pri Petku" (at Petek’s).

Oral tradition states that the “Pri Petku” roadside chapel was made by cart horse drivers from the neighbouring village of Ljubinj, who drove goods to Gorizia, Trieste and Cividale del Friuli. At one time, the road to Ljubinj led past Petek's house, and it was precisely there that it began to go steeply uphill to the higher‑lying Ljubinj. At Petek's, the drivers had to change horses before driving up the hill or, if carts were not needed, leave them in a nearby hayrack. Transportation was a very difficult and dangerous job. Because the journey started and ended at Petek's, a chapel with the statue of Christ, "Petkov bogc", was erected there in thanks or as a plea for a safe return.

The authorship of the statue is unknown, but the simply painted corner niche had an inscription “1730” which was visible even after World War II. The "Petkov bogc" statue is probably even older, and represents the Friulan-Romanesque sculpture tradition in this area.