uzbek wonderful 19c silk hand-embroidery suzani Shakhrisabz The emroidery of Shakhrisabz is a miracle among the most interesting in Central Asia. Works of art of this kind stand out and create a school of popular applied art - a school which all creators of things of beauty have striven to complete with and which should be an example for them in future. Offered Shakhrisabz Suzani is fully silk hand-embroidered on cotton foundation. Lined with Russian printed cotton. All dyes are natural. The very pure deep colors are blue, red, two hues of violet, pink, cream and black. The composition consists of the varied complex rosettes with with the traditional star in the centre. There is the unusual effect of embroidery with jewels and pearls. Each rosette's got smth. For example, small pink stylized scorlions or elegant elongated teardrop-shaped motifs, Kalampir or Bote. The embroidery was made with the tambour technique - "yurma". It is the most difficult, complex and unique kind of hand-embroidery, needed a tambour-frame and a special device called "bigiz" or "daraush" - a hook. Usually such chain-stitch was used only for making the outlines of patterns, it needed too long time to make. Such technique could be used by limited amount of embroideresses. All stitches and ornaments look absolutely perfect. The chain-stitch is used to create ornamental designs across the entire surface of the article. The chain-stitch moves in directions that either follow the shapes of the design or divide it into individual sections, varying and diversifying the design with delicate internal ornamentation, imparting a lively interplay or light to the silk, and causing each color to modulate into two or three different yet perfectly harmonious shades. The chain-stitch winds around the outlines of the design, then moves gradually to the inside until the entire design (from outside edge to very middle) is filled with embroidery stitches. The transitions of light in the silk give the embroidery a beautiful texture, which can be comparable with the light shining on the jewels. Size: 49-42 in (125-107 cm)