Lakai Suzani
Origin:
Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Samarkand
Dimensions:
265 x 195 cm
Age:
Second half 19th century
Estimate:
15,000.00 - 20,000.00 €
The ornamentation, style of drawing and spacious composition of large designs – the two-tone botehs are particularly striking – suggest that this suzani embroidered on an orange-red silk ground is a Lakai piece. Lakai embroideries are the only ones to include fine crochet-like seams such as those seen in the edging of the secondary borders. – The field design of one large circular blossom ringed by a vine bearing flowers as well as four diagonal twigs ending in large botehs is encountered in other Lakai suzanis (see the purple silk ground example in the Wolf Collection). In the border, the botehs interspersed diagonally between the twelve large circular blossoms are somewhat smaller in size, but identical in drawing. The conditions and exact regions in southern Uzbekistan in which large Lakai suzanis were created are unknown. An opinion that is gaining acceptance is that they were made in workshops and then sold in the bazaars of Bokhara and Samarkand. The spaciously conceived composition of only a few designs drawn to a very large scale is reminiscent of Samarkand suzanis which may have served as models. – Slight signs of age and wear, backed with canvas.
Literature:
GRUBE, ERNST J., Keshte. The Marshall and Marylyn R. Wolf Collection. New York 2003, no. 32
Published:
VOK, IGNAZIO, Vok Collection. Suzani. A Textile Art from Central Asia. (Text by Jakob Taube) Munich 1994, no. 40