Description

Probably Bokhara,  Uzbekistan, 1st half 19th century. Exquisite, large silk embroidery on cotton, worked in four panels. The lattice of elegant trefoil arrangements is set within a meandering border of leaves and large flower heads. The colour scheme is unusually subtle for a suzani from this area; all dyes are natural.  Suzanis were, together with other embroidered pieces, part of the dowry a girl had to provide for her wedding, and the quality of the embroideries denoted the social standing of the bride’s family. They were usually used as wall hangings or covers for niches and stacks of bedding. The word ‘Suzani’ is Farsi and means ‘needle’ and is applied to all types of embroidery in the Farsi-speaking world.

Very minor repairs, overall excellent condition

SOLD