Suzani

Suzani

Suzani is a term for exquisite hand-embroidered textiles that originated hundreds of years ago in Central Asia. The panels celebrate fertility, prosperity, happiness, a good life and good future.

The Process

“According to local custom, families would start a suzani after the birth of every girl,” Lark says. Each female family member embroidered an individual panel of cloth with hand-spun and hand-died silk.

When the girl reached marrying age, she would sew all the panels together to be used as dowry. “With so many women participating in its creation, the suzani became a form of artistic expression and communication for women,” Lark explains.

In vintage pieces, the seams connecting the individual panels convey the connections from one family member to another, one village to another, and one generation to the next.

The Textiles

While no longer used as dowry pieces, the legacy of the suzani has endured. The exquisite textiles are still crafted as works of art by artisans in Turkey and Uzbekistan. Each suzani is a hand-embroidered, one of a kind piece to treasure.

Lark personally selects each Suzani piece. “It is an honor to support these talented artists and their cultural traditions! What a joy to bring this centuries-old craft into the modern home.”

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