Uzbek flatweave

This long flatweave, composed of large bands of graphically embroidered ornament and narrower portions of weft-float substitution and plain weave, is most likely the work of ethnic Uzbek weavers working along the Oxus River in the border region between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Rows of geometric patterns such as arrowheads and stars alternate, with others drawing more curvilinear, amorphous, but thoroughly evocative elements. These large Central Asian flatweaves were largely unknown until the fall of the Soviet Union from which point they made their way to the markets of Peshawar, Istanbul, and points further west. The almost monumental size of this piece, along with its graphic appeal, compounded with its ethnographic significance make it desirable to both collectors and decorators alike.