Antique Suzani | 200 x 196 cm | Nr. Z-1973

Antique Suzani

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Persia
Dimensions	200 cm x 196 cm (= 3.92 m²)
Construction	hand-embroidered
Material	Pile: wool with pure silk
knots	X
Condition	pre-owned, cleaned & partially restored
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The name Suzani comes from the Persian word "Suzan", which means needle. In Central Asia – above all in Uzbekistan (Bukhara Suzanis, or Suzanis from Nurota) and in Turkestan – cotton fabrics are made that are lavishly decorated with silk or wool embroidery. These hand-embroidered textiles are known as Suzani (also spelled Susani).

Suzanis traditionally serve as wall hangings, decorating the houses and yurts of the nomads. They are a traditional part of a bride's dowry. Embroidered in luminous colours and with sumptuous, often floral patterns, these fabrics mirror the daily life and philosophy of the nomadic peoples in floral ornament. Making a Suzani is painstaking handwork. The more splendid the decoration, the greater the prestige it brought its owner. Old Suzanis in particular are treasured collector's pieces today, in Europe as much as in the United States.



This antique Suzani is a collector's piece. It is around 146 years old and a genuinely special piece for that reason alone. Antique rugs such as this Antique Suzani are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Material

Originally, only hand-woven cotton fabrics were painstakingly decorated by hand with the lavish silk or wool embroidery that makes a Suzani. Traditionally, only natural dyes were used to colour the yarn. Blue yarns, for instance, were dyed with indigo from India, red tones with carmine imported from Russia, and black with pomegranate rinds. Towards the end of the 19th century, imported cotton fabrics increasingly took over, and with them aniline dyes, which gave the Suzani a more garish appearance. Today, Suzanis are made both by hand and by machine.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Antique Suzani. It has had owners before you who valued and used it. It was knotted around 146. It has been cleaned thoroughly and is in good, though only partly restored, condition. This lovely piece has one hole and the edges are damaged in places. There is also a tear of around 10-20cm. We have not fully restored this Antique Suzani, because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course be happy to continue restoring the rug for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.