Rushnyk (Ukrainian Ritual Cloth)
Embroidered ritual cloth of Ukraine woven from linen or hemp and decorated with geometric and floral embroidery at both ends. The rushnyk hangs on icons, frames doors and windows, joins the couple's hands at weddings and lines the coffin at funerals; its patterns carry protective meaning, and a woman's rushnyk collection testified to her skill. Made on the home loom and embroidered with cotton or silk thread in red, black and white, the cloths are kept for decades and passed down through families as heirlooms. The name shares its root with 'ruka', the hand, for the towel used to wipe the hands