MINT Antique 1900s Krolevets Rushnyk Hand-Woven Towel 114\" Provenance Folk Art For Sale

### **ITEM SPECIFICS**
* **Type:** Antique Folk Art Ritual Textile (Rushnyk / Ceremonial Wedding Towel)
* **Origin / Technique:** Krolevets handpicked weaving (\"перебір\" / perebir), traditional handloom
* **Period:** Late 19th – Early 20th Century (circa 1890-1910s)
* **Dimensions:** 289 x 43 cm / approx. 114 x 17 inches
* **Material:** 100% Home-spun natural organic cotton and linen threads
* **Color:** Deep, highly saturated \"Kumach\" red and natural unbleached white
* **Provenance:** Kept as a family heirloom in the Zavgorodniy family, Chernetske village (Chernihiv region, Ukraine)---### **EXCEPTIONAL \"MINT\" ANTIQUE CONDITION**
This museum-grade textile artifact is in **pristine, unused, and unwashed condition** (\"New Old Stock\" quality). It has been safely stored away from sunlight and moisture in a traditional wooden dowry chest for over a century.
* **Fringes:** 100% intact, crisp, and never frayed by washing machines.
* **Colors:** The deep red background is perfectly saturated, even, and completely un-faded.
* **Honesty Note:** There is only one single, minuscule storage speck (approx. 2-3 mm) on the outer white stripe due to more than 100 years of contact with the wooden chest (please see the provided macro close-up photo). It is barely noticeable and does not affect its beauty.
* **Free of:** Dry rot, moth holes, thread bareness, tears, and chemical odours. Smells like clean historic linen.---### **HISTORICAL CONTEXT & PROVENANCE**
This rushnyk comes with a verified family history. For more than a century, it belonged to the **Zavgorodniy family** from the historic village of **Chernetske** (formerly Talalaivka district, now Pryluky district, Chernihiv region, Ukraine). Because it was reserved exclusively as a sacred family relic and never used in daily life, its structural integrity is flawless.---### **SYMBOLISM & ORNAMENTATION DECODING**
This piece is a spectacular example of the world-famous **Krolevets weaving style**. The intricate geometric patterns were created directly on a manual loom using a complex handpicked weaving technique (*perebir*). Every single element carries deep, pre-Christian protective codes and traditional wedding blessings:* **Pairs of Waterfowl (Swans/Ducks) at the Tree of Life:** The dominant motif features pairs of stylized waterfowl facing inwards toward the central vertical stem (\"Vazon\" / The Tree of Life). In Slavic wedding folklore, a pair of birds looking at each other is the ultimate symbol of love, marital fidelity, harmony, and the creation of a new family. The female duck (*utitsa*) was historically viewed as the keeper of the hearth.
* **The \"Vazon\" (Sacred Tree):** The central geometric tree surrounded by the birds symbolizes the continuous life force, the growth of the family line, and the protective blessing of the ancestors for the newlyweds.
* **Central Four-Part Solar Cross:** Positioned directly between the birds\' tails is a distinct geometric cross divided into quadrants. This is an ancient solar amulet meant to guard the family\'s peace and protect the home from evil forces or misfortune.
* **Diagonal Chessboard Patterns & Protective End Knots:** The sloping bands of red-and-white squares represent a fertile sowed field (wishing wealth and abundance). The borders are framed with \"X\"-shaped cross nodes that bind the entire amulet structure together, while the ends are finished with \"pine-twig\" patterns (*sosonki*), symbolizing longevity and health.This spectacular nearly 3-meter-long piece is a true museum-worthy masterpiece. It is an ideal acquisition for high-end textile collectors, ethnographic displays, or as a highly sophisticated piece of historical interior art.---
### **SHIPPING
* Worldwide shipping with reliable tracking information provided immediately upon dispatch.

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