Festive folk brocade for Czech kroj, pure silk with gold, ecru, 0.5m

Product description

This brocade is inspired by a 19th century silk brocade used in Bohemian and Slovakian folk costumes, or kroj. Hand woven of silk, and real metallic thread, the fabric is of natural silk ecru color with a woven floral pattern in gold featuring scarlet flowers.

Origin & Pattern

Until now, this historical kroj fabric was only available in heirloom pieces cut from existing folk costumes – a surprising fact considering that this particular brocade is a basic element of a robust folk costume tradition in the southern Moravian region known as Slovacko. Weaving this type of brocade is very technically demanding and this is the first time this fabric has returned to regular production in over a hundred years.

Historical sources reference this folk textile under several different names, which the folklore researcher may have encountered:

• Cloth of gold, the historical term for gold threaded brocades;
• Kupensky, a colloquial term that renders roughly as traders’ brocade, a nod to this textile’s exotic content and origins;
• Ornat, the Czech word for chasuble, a part of the clerical vestments that was typically made of ornate brocades
• and, most common among local sources, tree brocade, a descriptive designation for symmetrical florals, usually in gold, with large, contrasting blooms. These mirrored floral motifs were often featured on the vest, of the regional folk costume, where the symmetry of the pattern helps pull the costume together esthetically.

The exact pattern in this reproduction fabric was painstakingly pieced together from multiple folk costume pieces, each of which contained a fragment of the full motif. Surviving vests from historical kroj in Moravia (parto of Czech republic) served as a primary resource. Similar patterns are also found in nearby Slovakia, particularly the Trnavy and Piestan regions.

The original source brocades referenced for this project date to the mid 19th century and were most likely produced by the Viennese textile works of Josef Giani.

This pattern reconstruction is the intellectual property of SARTOR BOHEMIA.

Material & Quality

This historical brocade reproduction is woven by hand on a Jacquard loom in pure silk with genuine metallic threads toned with real gold. This combination of premium materials makes this brocade sturdy but soft, gentle to the touch, and breathable. The gold thread will not tarnish or lose its shine.

Application

Reproductions of period brocades such as this are perfect for sewing historical costumes and also bring something special to modern interiors or contemporary fashions.

This brocade has loose threads on the back. We recommend lining it with a natural material such as silk or fine linen. For added stiffness try silk organza or crepeline.

Handmade artisan fabric

This brocade is unique for its artisan origin. It is woven by hand at a rate of only about half a meter per day (20 inches) and comes from a loom specifically adapted for Sartor. We leave out all the intermediaries and go straight to the village level so that we can assure every penny we pay goes directly to the artisans who have worked on this fabric (warpers, weavers, dyers).

Note

Because this fabric is hand woven and hand designed, there may be slight irregularities in the weave. These tiny imperfections are not considered defects, but rather a natural feature of hand crafting.

Care

We recommend dry cleaning this fabric at a reliable dry cleaner. In our test of how to wash silk this fabric stood up to gentle hand washing. If you risk hand washing, use lukewarm water and a delicate detergent for woolens; do not wring or squeeze dry; block dry on a flat surface. Dry iron on the back on the lowest setting.