Minneapolis Institute of Art

Suzani

Date

19th century

Medium

Linen, silk, embroidered

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Part of a bride's dowry, these large silk embroideries were the most wide spread form of household decoration in Central Asia. They were often used as wall hangings and room dividers, however their first and most important use was as a cover for the bridal bed. This ceremonial use more than justified the labor and expense involved in their creation, as weddings were considered more than the joining of two individuals. Indeed, weddings represented the fusion of two families and the hoped for increase of the entire ethnic group. Uzbekistan

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