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21
FLORAL SUZANI WITH TRELLIS
PATTERN
NURATA, UZBEKISTAN, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven cotton, hand
embroidered with cotton thread, natural dyes
55 x 88 in (140 x 224 cm)
$ 2,275 - 3,790
Rs 1,50,000 - 2,50,000
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 arch-
shaped 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.
20
SUZANI WITH
POMEGRANATE
MOTIF
FERGHANA, UZBEKISTAN,
MID 20
TH
CENTURY
Handspun and handwoven
cotton, hand embroidered with
cotton thread, natural dyes
74 x 103 in (188 x 262 cm)
$ 6,065 - 9,095
Rs 4,00,000 - 6,00,000
This predominantlymonochromatic
pink
suzani
is covered with densely
embroidered pink pomegranates.
A brown scrolling vine, from which
a single leaf sprouts, meanders
around the fruits. The seed-filled
pomegranate is an ancient symbol
of fertility, signifying abundance,
both for the woman who brings it
as dowry, and the household into
which she marries. The present lot
was probably used as a hanging in a
tent or home.