Artwork Page for Wedding Veil

Details / Information for Wedding Veil

Wedding Veil

1800s

Tajikistan, Tajik tribe, 19th century

Medium
silk, cotton, embroidery
Measurements
Average: 76.2 x 75.6 cm (30 x 29 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.1235
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Description

Brides traditionally concealed their faces during their weddings and afterward as newly married women and on special occasions. This elaborate type, which includes a cotton netting rectangle that permitted vision, was only worn by Tajik Turkmen. The decoration features motifs that can be interpreted as birds or palmette leaves in a style that characterizes early Islamic art and that may have originated in Iran.
A square silk and cotton textile with a magenta ground features symmetrical white, dark teal, and tan geometric patterns. A wide border of stylized, curving hook shapes surrounds central panels decorated with diamond motifs. In the upper center, a small white rectangle features a horizontal grid pattern. Dark cords extend from the top corners. Fine, dense embroidery creates a complex texture of repeating mirrored designs and notched edges across the surface.

Wedding Veil

1800s

Tajikistan, Tajik tribe, 19th century

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