Brocade Kanavat Bridal Veil

Russian silk weaving  was established in the 18th century in Moscow and a neighboring town of Kolomna and it was at that time that the shawls known as Kanavat first appeared.

This style of bridal veil was worn over  a tall hat called kokoshnick and it covered most of the back, giving the bride an impressive appearance on one of the most important days of her life.

The term kanavat refers to silk shawl tied dyed in the warp ikat technique which was imported to Russia from Persia. The ikat design of the kanavat has a large striped field with wide borders decorated in a zigzag motif. The ikat designed is complemented by a discontinuous supplementary weft brocade executed with fine metallic thread. The gold thread  design  is superimposed on  the ikat ground with squares in the center field filled with a diamond design. The coloration is usually of rich red, aubergine, green and dark brown enhanced with the reflective gold of the brocade.