Suzani History

Suzani

***Uzbek National Suzani Embroidery Handcraft Needlework is one of the most ancient types of arts.  It began as a result of that nation’s desire for yet another way to express the beauty in life. Suzani is used in clothing, decorations, and creative household items. Suzani Embroidery Handcraft is famous worldwide. The two types of Suzani Embroidery are different depending on the nationality, place, feature of nature and lifestyle that they represent. There are two major types of Suzani which are an embroidery quilt and gold embroidery.  They can depict the outstanding famous features of many different nations.  These are original Suzani handcrafted works from which many other representations have been modeled.
Today, the products still amaze people with their beauty and variety of elegant ornaments.
Art embroidery has a long and cherished history, which is confirmed by archaeological findings and written sources. Such things as climate changes and the seasonal changes in nature are illustrated very realistically and beautifully in the various Suzani handcrafted designs. Although there are other types of handcrafted items, Suzani stands out because of its unique representations and very skilled workmanship. The development of this type of embroidery can be traced to climate, environment and many professions. Dating from the XIV – XV centuries the development of embroidery goes back to ancient times. Spanish ambassador Ruiz Gonzalez de Clavijo wrote in his diary that he saw Uzbek national embroidery as far back as in the Amir Temur Palace.
In the art of embroidery, each nation has its own unique patterns. Uzbek embroidery uses many plant, geometric and flower patterns according to ancient traditions. Many of the themes of Suzani embroidery center on Uzbek girls. Thus, there is a variety of embroidered items including those for  future brides such as handkerchiefs, kettles, curtains, belts, bags, socks, handbags, florets, bricks, embroidery, blankets, loungers, ornaments, hats, and gifts of all kinds.
Historically, at a wedding the bride presents to her new family the items that she has sewn. This fine and elegant embroidery is highly appreciated.Girls start embroidery at an early age, and in three or four years, they begin to sew independently. Embroidery was very common in Central Asia and women were engaged in embroidery in the family. In the course of their work, they improved their skills, learned from each other, and from generation to generation. Embroidery creations are in demand not only in Uzbekistan, but also abroad.When embroidery was part of the Roman Empire, it became famous for its richness of silk, gold, and wool. The traditions of embroidery were also developed in Byzantium.The evolution of embroidery in the second half of the XIX century gave rise to embroidery enterprises.

– Samarkand, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia plays an important role in the history and development of Uzbek national crafts surpassing other countries that have tried to emulate their handiwork.