TRADITIONAL TEXTILE

TRADITIONAL TEXTILE HAND CRAFTS AND TECHNIQUES FLOW THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT

CULTURES, ALL WITH UNIQUE AESTHETICS AND END USES. THE FACT THAT THESE TEXTILES ARE

BESPOKE AND HANDMADE BY HIGHLY SKILLED 0ARTISANS, ALIGNS THEM WITH THE LUXURY

INDUSTRY’S VALUES. THERE IS AN EXCLUSIVITY TO ARTISANAL PRODUCTS, THAT CAN BE

VALUED BY CONSUMERS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY EMPOWERING ALL WHILE  SUPPORTING THE

MAKER.

TRADITIONAL TEXTILE HAND CRAFTS AND TECHNIQUES FLOW THROUGH MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES, ALL WITH UNIQUE
AESTHETICS AND END USES. THE FACT THAT THESE TEXTILES ARE BESPOKE AND HANDMADE BY HIGHLY SKILLED ARTISANS,
ALIGNS THEM WITH THE LUXURY INDUSTRY’S VALUES. THERE IS AN EXCLUSIVITY TO ARTISANAL PRODUCTS, THAT CAN BE
VALUED BY CONSUMERS, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY EMPOWERING ALL WHILE SUPPORTING THE MAKER.

INTRODUCTION

SUZANI IS A TYPE OF EMBROIDERED AND DECORATIVE TRIBAL TEXTILE MADE IN TAJIKISTAN, UZBEKISTAN,
KAZAKHSTAN AND OTHER CENTRAL ASIAN COUNTRIES. IT IS FROM THE PERSIAN SUZAN, WHICH MEANS NEEDLE.

THE ART OF MAKING SUCH TEXTILES IN IRAN IS CALLED SUZANDOZI (NEEDLEWORK).

SUZANI COMES FROM THE PERSIAN WORD FOR "NEEDLE," AND THE WORD REFERS TO EMBROIDERED HANGINGS

OR FABRIC COVERINGS, GENERALLY A METER AND A HALF WIDE 4 TO 5 INCH BUT SOMETIMES MUCH MORE. THE
BIRTHPLACE OF SUZANIS IS IN WHAT IS NOW UZBEKISTAN, THE AREA ALONG THE SILK ROADS THAT

INTERCONNECTED THE CULTURES OF EUROPE, TURKEY AND CHINA WITH THE MUSLIM WORLD. ISLAM CAME TO

THIS AREA IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY, AND OVER TIME SPLENDID CITIES AROSE THERE: AMONG THEM BUKHARA,
SAMARKAND, SHAKHRISABZ AND KHIVA.

CENTRAL ASIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LAND OF TEXTILES. THE LIVES OF NOMADS AND SETTLED PEOPLES ALIKE HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN HARD, AND THE LANDSCAPE IS OFTEN BLEAK, BUT WOMEN HAVE LONG DECORATED EVERY OBJECT

THEY COULD—PRAYER RUGS, SADDLECLOTHS, CRADLE COVERS, MIRROR CASES, YURT BANDS, TENT FLAPS, SALT

BAGS AND GIFT WRAPS—WITH WEAVING, EMBROIDERY AND APPLIQUE IN WOOL, SILK, COTTON OR FELT.

POPULAR DESIGN MOTIFS INCLUDE SUN AND MOON DISKS, FLOWERS (ESPECIALLY TULIPS, CARNATIONS, AND

IRISES), LEAVES AND VINES, FRUITS (ESPECIALLY POMEGRANATES), AND OCCASIONAL FISH AND BIRDS.
MAJOR TYPES OF SUZANI EMBROIDERY
  BUKHARA SUZANI
 KHODJENT SUZANI (KHODJENT, TAJIKISTAN)
 LAKAI SUZANI
 NURATA SUZANI, MADE IN THE TOWN OF NURATA IN UZBEKISTAN.
 PSKENT SUZANI
 SAMARKAND SUZANI
 SHAKHRISABZ SUZANI
 TASHKENT SUZANI
 URA TUBE SUZANI (ISTARAVSHAN, TAJIKISTAN)

TECHNIQUE
SUZANIS USUALLY HAVE A COTTON SOMETIMES SILK FABRIC BASE WHICH IS EMBROIDERED IN

SILK OR COTTON THREAD. CHAIN, SATIN, AND BUTTONHOLE STITCHES ARE THE PRIMARY

STITCHES USED. THERE IS ALSO EXTENSIVE USE OF COUCHING, IN WHICH DECORATIVE THREAD

LAID ON THE FABRIC AS A RAISED LINE IS STITCHED IN PLACE WITH A SECOND THREAD. SUZANIS
ARE OFTEN MADE IN TWO OR MORE PIECES, THAT ARE THEN STITCHED TOGETHER.

APPLICATION
SUZANIS WERE TRADITIONALLY MADE BY CENTRAL ASIAN BRIDES AS PART OF THEIR DOWRY,

AND WERE PRESENTED TO THE GROOM ON THE WEDDING DAY. THESE HAND-EMBROIDERED

VINTAGE SUZANIS ARE INFUSED WITH THE CHARACTER THAT ONLY COMES FROM EVERYDAY USE.

PERHAPS CREATED BY A BRIDE-TO-BE TO SHOW HER DEVOTION TO HER BETROTHED AND THEN IN
LEAN TIMES BARTERED AWAY TO A TRAVELING GYPSY FOR MONEY OR HOUSEHOLD NECESSITIES
PULLED FROM THE DEPTHS OF HIS DONKEY CART. THE STORY OF EACH OF THESE SUZANIS IS AS

RICH AS THEIR COLORS, ASINTRICATE AS THE DESIGNS THAT COVER THEIR SURFACES.

MEANING & SYMBOLS

RECURRING DESIGN MOTIFS INCLUDE SUN AND MOON DISKS, FLOWERS SUCH AS TULIPS, CARNATIONS, AND IRISES,
LEAVES AND VINES, FRUITS AND ESPECIALLY POMEGRANATES, AND OCCASIONAL FISH AND BIRDS.

ORIGIN

THE OLDEST SURVIVING SUZANIS ARE FROM THE LATE 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURIES, BUT IT SEEMS LIKELY

THAT THEY WERE IN USE LONG BEFORE THAT. IN THE EARLY 15TH CENTURY, RUY GONZÁLES DE CLAVIJO, THE

CASTILIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE COURT OF TIMUR (TAMERLANE), LEFT DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF EMBROIDERIES
THAT WERE PROBABLY FORERUNNERS OF THE SUZANI.

TRADITION OF SUZANI
IN UZBEK HOMES, EVERY SURFACE IS COVERED WITH TEXTILES IN A KIND OF DAZZLING HORROR VACUI THAT

WARMS THE SPACE VISUALLY AND PHYSICALLY. AMID ALL THIS RIOT OF COLOR, THE SUZANI DOMINATES. SUZANIS
ARE LARGE—EITHER WALL HANGINGS OR BED COVERINGS—AND ARE THE MAJOR COMPONENT OF A BRIDE’S

DOWRY. RELYING ON MATERIALS (COTTON FABRIC AND SILK THREADS) PRODUCED IN TOWNS AND CITIES, THEY ARE

FAR REMOVED FROM THE WOOL-BASED TEXTILES PRODUCED BY NOMADS OF THE ASIAN STEPPES. IN TOWNS OR

CITIES SUCH AS BUKHARA, A “KALAMKASH” (SUZANI DESIGNER; WOULDN’T THAT LOOK GREAT ON A BUSINESS

CARD?) SKETCHES AN ELABORATE DESIGN ON THE BASE FABRIC, THEN OFTEN DIVIDES IT INTO SEVERAL STRIPS. SHE

THEN HANDS OVER THE FABRIC AND DIRECTIONS TO A FAMILY TO DISTRIBUTE THE PIECES AMONG MOTHER,

SISTERS, AUNTS, AND COUSINS TO EMBROIDER SEPARATELY FOR THE BRIDE TO BE, MUCH AS AMERICAN FRIENDS
AND FAMILY MIGHT HAVE DIVIDED LABOR IN A QUILTING BEE. AFTER ALL THE EMBROIDERY IS COMPLETE, THEY

PIECE TOGETHER STRIPS TO FORM A WHOLE. HAND-EMBROIDERED SUZANIS ARE LABOR-INTENSIVE PROJECTS, SO

IT’S NOT SURPRISING THAT NEEDLEWORK BEGINS SHORTLY AFTER A DAUGHTER’S BIRTH. GENERALLY, AT LEAST

FOUR PIECES ARE REQUIRED FOR A DOWRY, INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE SUZANI. THEN IT BECOMES A CHERISHED

SYMBOL OF YOUNG WOMAN’S FIRST HOME AND FAMILY IN HER NEW HOME.

HOW SUZANIS MADE

SUZANIS ARE MADE FROM COTTON, SOMETIMES SILK. THE PATTERN IS FIRST DRAWN ONTO THE

COTTON, BEFORE BEING EMBROIDERED ON NARROW PORTABLE LOOMS. THEY ARE USUALLY

PRODUCED IN TWO OR MORE PIECES, MEANING THAT THEY CAN BE WORKED ON BY MORE THAN

ONE PERSON, BEFORE BEING STITCHED TOGETHER.

JUST FOUR STITCHES — TAMBOUR, BASMA, CHAIN AND KANDA-KHAYOL — ARE USED TO

REALISE A LARGE VARIETY OF PATTERNS, WHICH TRADITIONALLY INCLUDE THE SUN AND MOON,

FLOWERS AND CREEPERS OF THE ASIAN STEPPES, LEAVES AND VINES, FRUITS (ESPECIALLY
POMEGRANATES), AND OCCASIONALLY FISH AND BIRDS. THESE MOTIFS WERE BELIEVED TO

IMBUE THE SUZANIS WITH SPIRITUAL POWERS, OFFERING PROTECTION OR STRENGTH TO THEIR

OWNERS.

SUZANIS ARE COLOURED WITH VEGETAL DYES, ALTHOUGH SOME MORE RECENT PIECES MAY USE
SYNTHETIC DYES, WHICH ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO GIVE THE SAME INTENSITY OF HUE.

THE NATURAL DYES USE IMPORTED INDIGO FOR BLUE, COCHINEAL AND IMPORTED MADDER FOR

REDS, SAFFRON FOR YELLOW, A MIX OF INDIGO AND A YELLOW TREE FUNGUS FOR GREEN, AND

IRON OXIDE AND PISTACHIO NUTS FOR BLACK. THE DYEING PROCESS TAKES PLACE IN AN

OUTDOOR VAT, SIMILAR TO THOSE THAT CAN STILL BE SEEN ACROSS THE MAGHREB.

SUZANI DRAWING CAME TO REPRESENT THE IMAGE OF AN IDEAL UNIVERSE WITH

THE UNITY OF MAGIC AND BEAUTY AND EVERLASTING BEAUTIFUL NATURE.
EACH AND EVERY MOTIVE AND SYMBOL USED IN SUZANIKARI IS THERE TO
BRING JOY, FERTILITY, LONG LIFE, PROSPERITY, FRUITFULNESS, GOOD HEALTH,
HOSPITALITY ETC, OR ALTERNATIVELY TO KEEP THE EVIL EYE AT BAY AND TO
WARD OFF ALL EVIL FROM THE HOME.

REASON
THE REASON OF CHOOSING THIS TRADITIONAL EMBROIDERY STYLE BECAUSE
ITS KNOWN FOR THEIR STRONG COLOURS, DESIGN AND ORIGINAL EXOTIC
PATTERNS, AND WONDERFUL EMBROIDERY SKILL. THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF
SUZANIS THROUGH THE AGES WAS CONNECTED TO THE BELIEF THAT MAGIC
FORCES WERE EMBROIDERED LOVINGLY INTO THEIR PATTERNS BY MOTHERS
AND GRANDMOTHERS. PATTERNS AND MOTIVES CARRIED TALISMANIC,
PROTECTIVE AND WELL WISHING EMBROIDERED MESSAGES.

THE REVIVAL OF SUZANI TEXTILES

 SINCE UZBEKISTAN'S INDEPENDENCE IN THE 90'S, SUZANI IS MAKING A BRAVE AND VERY PROUD
COMEBACK.

YOUNG GIRLS AGAIN ARE BEING TAUGHT AND LEARNING TO EMBROIDER, BUT THERE ARE HUGE

THREATS TO ITS SURVIVAL, BECAUSE MACHINE MADE AND SYNTHETIC COPIES OF SUZANI ARE

SOLD AT CHEAP PRICES TO TOURISTS, AND THIS MAKES THE TRUE HAND EMBROIDERED PIECES

SEEM TOO "EXPENSIVE" AND THEN FORGOTTEN. THE EVER RISING COST OF RAW SILK AND

COTTON ALSO HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON THE SURVIVAL OF THIS NOBLE CRAFT.

CONCLUSION

I HAVE LEAD FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS.

O IN ORDER TO RECREATE TRADITIONAL TEXTILES, WHOLE ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING NATURE,

CULTURE AND PEOPLE'S MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES SHOULD BE EXAMINED.

O TEXTILE DESIGN WITH A CORROBORATION OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTIONS WILL BE CREATED

UNIQUE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MATERIALS AND PEOPLE.

O NOT ONLY TEXTILE PRODUCTS BUT ALSO HOLISTIC DESIGN OR SOCIAL DESIGN WILL BE NEEDED

FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

O PARTICIPATION OF THE YOUNG GENERATION WHO IS GOING TO BE THE LEADER FOR THE NEXT

GENERATION WILL BE SIGNIFICANT.

O REEXAMINING TRADITIONAL ASPECTS IN LOCAL CULTURE AND TRANSLATING THEM INTO

CURRENT SOCIETY IS NOT EASY TO CARRY OUT. HOWEVER, IT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR US TO

NOT ONLY DESIGN PRODUCTS BUT ALSO INTANGIBLE ELEMENTS SUCH AS LIFE STYLES,

COMMUNICATION, NETWORK, CULTURE AND EDUCATION IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT SOCIAL

INNOVATION TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY.