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Suzani (large embroidered hanging or cover)

A work made of cotton, plain weave; embroidered with silk.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of cotton, plain weave; embroidered with silk.

Date:

19th century

Artist:

Uzbekistan, possibly Shakhrisabz or Shafirkhan

About this artwork

The term suzani comes from the Persian word for needle, but in Central Asia it specifically refers to large, spectacularly colorful textiles embroidered in silk. Suzanis were tradi­tionally used as wall hangings or as covers to wrap bedding and clothing. Produced by women, they were an essential part of a wedding dowry. Because of their size, suzanis consist of several widths of narrower cloth. These ground (or base) fabrics were first laid out and the design drawn upon them. Each width of cloth was then embroidered separately, perhaps by several artists working together, before being assembled.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Title

Suzani (large embroidered hanging or cover)

Place

Uzbekistan (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1801–1900

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; embroidered with silk

Dimensions

231.4 × 150.2 cm (91 1/8 × 59 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Robert Allerton

Reference Number

1925.558

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/16236/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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