Important Notice

NURATA, UZBEKISTAN, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven cotton, hand embroidered with cotton thread, natural dyes
55 x 88 in (140 x 224 cm)


Embroidered hangings were required decorations in the homes of settled populations or in the tents of nomadic tribes. A common sight was the carved and painted dowry chest piled high with quilted blankets that were covered with a suzani. The suzanis were also hung on walls or used to cover archshaped wall-niches behind which lay a range of household objects.

The city of Nurata is known for its fine embroidery featuring delicately executed tendrils. Designs from this region are said to come closest to naturalistic representations of flora. While suzanis typically have a central field that stands in contrast to the border that surrounds it, the present lot is unusual in that it has a uniform appearance between the floral arrangements throughout. Embroidered on a deep maroon ground, the centre shows each flower individually ensconced within a lattice-shaped trellis. The diagonal rows of the trellis are filled with flowers in two shades of blue, dark and light, each alternating with the other. The border contains a single row of the same flowers.

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