A Shakhrisabz suzani, Central Asia, Uzbekistan, 19th century

Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 28 April 2005, lot 646

HALI, no.141, 2005, p.96

This striking suzani is embroidered with a predominantly blue palette. The alternating flowerheads in the diamond lattice are embroidered in two shades, each with a third tone of light icy blue used in their highlights, and the darker tone is reprised in the leafy tendrils of the lattice and border. A miniaturised iteration of the alternating palmettes is found in the inner and outer minor stripes. The vibrant border palmettes embroidered in red and pink boldly contrast with the dominant palette but find harmony with the minor flowers that frame the primary palmettes of the field. A suzani of comparable lattice arrangement but embroidered with red flowers was in the Vok collection, sold at Rippon Boswell, 25 March 2017, lot 237, (see I. Vok and J. Taube 1994, no.31), and another of comparable lattice design was sold in these rooms, 30 April 2025, lot 646. A smaller nim suzani of comparable design, also embroidered with alternating blue palmettes was sold at Rippon Boswell, 29 November 2008, lot 95.