Today I would like to talk about Suzani. What is Suzani? Translating from Farsi language “Suzani” can mean “a needle”. Suzane or Suzani in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan is a carpet that is embroidered with silk or mouline thread with a special kind of hemstitch called “kandakhiel”. In 2014 four ancient Uzbek Suzanis were immediately sold for £ 43,875 at the Sotheby’s auction in London. These works of decorative and applied arts turned out to be four times more expensive than their original cost.
Suzanis make people to understand what a real and perfect virtuosity is; they have been near them throughout all their lives beginning from birth to the very old ages. Special Suzanis with special embroidery techniques are created for wedding and are kept in the family house for a whole life being a guarantee of happiness, a cornerstone of well-being and a symbol of constant fertility. The Suzanne ornament is designed in such a way that it has the beginning but there is no end. According to a very ancient tradition there is always a small unfinished ornamental fragment left the embroidery. An ancient tradition says that a small pattern on your Suzani must be left unfinished to let the weddings in the house take place over and over through the new generations to bring healthy to the housefather’s daughters and to allow the joy and happiness live in the house forever. Popular design motifs include the sun and moon, flowers (especially tulips, carnations, irises), leaves and vine shoots, fruits (especially pomegranates), and sometimes a shape of fish and birds. Some ornaments are amulets and embroidering them the needlewomen thought only of something good, sang beautiful songs and in this way transmitting and wishing well through their embroidery. True masters and real experts of Suzani can read them like a book because each Suzani is inimitable and unique indeed.