Shakhrisabz Suzani
S10: silk on cotton
271 x 173 cm

This magnificent piece is from Shahkrisabz, the small town south of Samarkand and Timur’s birthplace, from which come some of the most vibrant and complex suzanis.
Characteristic is the dramatic black meandering  vine that creates a dynamic, asymmetrical lattice across the cream ground, giving the composition its energetic movement.
The vine framework contains numerous floral medallions in varying sizes including large rosettes with concentric petal arrangements, smaller floral roundels, four-petalled cruciform flowers and some radiating design resembling chrysanthemums or dahlias. In the field they are organised around three concentric circles. The colours are rich, warm and earthy with various shades of madder red, rust and terra – cotta tones, and accents of blue. The piece would date from the first half of the 19th century.