Suzani

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.
Provenance: Ignazio Vok collection.
Published: Vok collection Suzani 2, a Textile Art from Central Asia, plate 75