Vintage Uzbek Embroidery or Suzani, Central Asia, circa 1920s

Antique Uzbek Suzani Embroidery, c. 1800 Blending naturalism with ethereal fantasy, this spectacular embroidery or ‘suzani‘ from Central Asia conveys an aesthetic consistent with older examples of the genre. Certain features, most notably the vine-scroll, are reminiscent of the Samarkand school, while the drawing of the blossoms seems more prevalent in the repertoire of neighboring Shahrisabz. Indeed, this piece may in fact be a common ancestor to both. Splendid palmettes with flame-like tracery and bold swirling star-centered blossoms alternate within the border. Vegetal scroll meanders throughout—drawn with several shades of green conveying, if not a sense of shadowing, definite and deliberate tonalities of light and dark. The central hourglass form, idiosyncrasies of drawing, and arrangement of blossoms in the field imbue a sense of classicism rivaling and surpassing older Ottoman and Persian models. Embroidery Rug...

Suzani, a Central Asian term for a specific type of needlework, is also the broader name for the hugely popular decorative pieces of textile that feature this needlework in vivid col...

Suzani, a Central Asian term for a specific type of needlework, is also the broader name for the hugely popular decorative pieces of textile that feature this needlework in vivid col...

Chapan is the iconic fornt-open flowing robe traditionally worn by the nomadic people in Central Asia. In countries like Uzbekistan, it was almost the old national costume. This Uzbe...

Suzani, a Central Asian term for a specific type of needlework, is also the broader name for the hugely popular decorative pieces of textile that feature this needlework in vivid col...

Suzani, a Central Asian term for a specific type of needlework, is also the broader name for the hugely popular decorative pieces of textile that feature this needlework in vivid col...