Suzani is a type of

embroidered Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

and decorative

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, different #Fabric, fabric types, etc. At f ...

made in

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

and other

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

n countries. Suzani is from the Persian سوزن ''Suzan'' which means needle. The art of making such textiles in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

is called سوزن‌دوزی ''Suzandozi'' (needlework). Suzanis are rather delicate and extremely few examples survive from before the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They belong however to a very ancient tradition. In the early 15th century,

Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo Ruy may refer to: Arts and Entertainment * Ruy, the Little Cid, Spanish animated television series * Ruy Blas, a character in the eponymous tragic drama by Victor Hugo People *another form of Rui, a Portuguese male given name *another form of the ...

, the Castilian ambassador to the court of

Timur Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...

(

Tamerlane Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...

), left detailed descriptions of embroideries that were probably forerunners of the suzani. Suzanis were traditionally made by Central Asian brides as part of their

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...

, and were presented to the groom on the wedding day. These hand-embroidered vintage suzanis are infused with the character that only comes from everyday use. The story of each of these suzanis is as rich as their colors and as intricate as the designs that cover their surfaces.Suzanis are one of the most popular folk arts in Uzbekistan
/ref>

Types

Bukhara Bukhara ( Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and the city ...

Suzani *Khodjent Suzani (

Khodjent Khujand ( tg, Хуҷанд, Khujand; Uzbek: Хўжанд, romanized: Хo'jand; fa, خجند‌, Khojand), sometimes spelled Khodjent and known as Leninabad (russian: Ленинабад, Leninabad; tg, Ленинобод, Leninobod; fa, لن� ...

) * Lakai Suzani *

Nurata Nurota (sometimes spelled as Nurata, uz, Nurota, Нурота; tg, Нурато; russian: Нурата) is a city and seat of Nurota District in Navoiy Region in Uzbekistan. Its population is 32,300 (2016). History Nurota was founded as the anc ...

Suzani, made in the town of

. * Piskent Suzani *

Samarkand fa, سمرقند , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from the top:Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zinda, ...

Suzani *

Shakhrisabz Suzani Shakhrisabz Suzani is a type of Suzani textile made in Uzbekistan. The best-known and most valuable Shakhrisabz Suzanis were made in the 19th century, as a part of the bride's dowry. Shakhrisabz in an important market center in Qashqadaryo Region ...

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of 2 ...

Suzani * Ura Tube Suzani (

Istaravshan Istaravshan ( tg, Истаравшан; fa, استروشن; russian: Истаравшан) is a city in Sughd Province in Tajikistan. In 2000, the Tajik government changed the name of the city from earlier Uroteppa ( tg, Ӯротеппа; ''Ura- ...

, Tajikistan) File:Stamps of Uzbekistan, 2009-32.jpg,

Suzani File:Stamps of Uzbekistan, 2009-33.jpg,

Suzani File:Stamps of Uzbekistan, 2009-34.jpg, Piskent Suzani

References

Sources and external links

Guide to Suzani
by Barry O'Connell. Photographs of all types of suzanis.

by Marla Mallett. Includes details of embroidery techniques.

2003,

Saudi Aramco World ''Aramco World'' (formerly ''Saudi Aramco World'') is a bi-monthly magazine published by Aramco Services Company, a US-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The first issue of the magazine ...

All about suzani from Central AsiaTRC Needles entry on suzanis
{{Authority control Kazakhstani culture Embroidery Uzbekistani culture Tajikistani culture

Types

See also

References

Sources and external links