The main goal of Vezba has always been one - to keep Bulgarian traditions alive. Our clothes and the embroideries with which they are embroidered carry not only the spirit of the Bulgarians, but also their hopes, fears and joys. One of the most difficult compositions to interpret is Kanatitsa. Today we will tell you a little more about it and why it is so important to us.
It is one of the oldest and most universal symbols in human history. Old because the first such image was found on a clay vessel in Asia Minor and dates back to about 5300 BC. Universal, because in a number of civilizations from all over the world it symbolized the same thing - immortality and infinity. The figure is also found in the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus. It is often depicted around another, known as the "Tree of Life", as a vivid example of this are the Chipro carpets.
The name of Kanatitsa originates from the ancient Turkic languages before it reached our lands. "Kanati" literally translates as "wings", "wings of..." and in this sense symbolizes freedom, infinity and immortality.
The symbol served to protect against evil forces, as is the case with Bulgarian folklore. In our lands Kanatitsa was often found on household items and fabrics that a person could easily carry with him. It is very rare to find Kanatitsa symbols on stationary objects such as monuments or temples.
In addition to protection, in its Bulgarian version this symbol is loaded with several more basic ideas, the strongest of which is that of the genus and the family. This is also evident from the names of the "pieces" of the composition.
A rope in appearance consists of two triangles, called makazis, which touch at the tips of their legs. They symbolize masculinity and femininity and the creation of a family. When the "children" (two more small triangles) appear next to them, it is already Big Kanatitsa, or in other words - Rod. Because of this, Golyama Kanatitsa is also a symbol of fertility. After the addition of two more triangles at both ends, the finished look of the composition is obtained - Velika Kanatitsa or the transformation of the Genus into the Nation. 
A curious detail related to the extremely masterful craftsmanship of our garments is the fineness of the stitching. The needles do not follow an ordinary path, but embroider in a cord - the ornaments are made of embroidered small cords, or in other words "cord within a cord". In this way, symbolism is imbued from the very beginning of the creative process to the achievement of the final product.
Kanatitsa is an extremely important part of the history of ethnography and folklore in our lands. This is because it carries within itself the main values of our ancestors - the family, the clan and the people. Because Vezba aims to bring the tradition into modern times to preserve it for generations.Vezba - Keeper of tradition!
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