Lietuviška Juosta
Hand-woven sash of linen and wool, rich with geometric patterns in several colours, worn by Lithuanian men and women wrapped at the waist over festive dress and given as gifts at weddings, christenings and funerals. The juosta was woven on narrow looms or by tablet weaving, and every region knew its own ornament — rhombuses, zigzags, crosses and small stars — so that a sash could name the wearer's parish. In folk belief the sash was protective: it binds, fastens and marks a sacred boundary, and a woven band given away could carry goodwill or serve as an offering, mediating between people and t