A LARGE MEDALLION SUSANI, BOKHARA, UZBEKISTAN |

design type 'A'

Private collection, Haifa

Franses, M., The Great Embroideries of Bokhara, London, 2000, Cat. A7

Overall measurements: 168cm across the top, 169cm across the bottom, 270cm the left hand side, 268cm the right hand side. With original Ikat bias binding on all four edges, unlined. Stiching is in good condition. There are some points where the embroidery was never completed and the drawing is visible. E.g. at fabric joins in the walnut brown coiling at upper and lower right hand side of medlallion and the far right and fa rleft under the caned branches. Old foxing to fabric, to extreme right hand edge just adjacent to the large medallions. Composed of five strips of fabric. Would benefit from being professionally mounted for display.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Uzbek susanis’ were conceived as part of the bridal dowry. Made by the bride and close female relatives to demonstrate both the wealth and talent of the family; they would have adorned the bridal suite as wall hangings and bedspreads, and would undoubtedly have been an awe inspiring spectacle. When Michael Franses and Robert Pinner wrote their seminal article on these fabulous embroideries only eight examples were known, Franses (1978), pp. 128 – 133. On re-examining the subject Franses has amended this number to fifty four known examples, Franses (2001), pp. 93 - 97. The group has been broken up into ten differing sub groups to which the present lot belongs to group A, comprising twenty known examples. Typical of the group a pointed hexagonal central medallion centred by concentric circles framed by ‘rams horn’ shaped spirals, Franses records that there are usually up to six of these, Franses, ibid, p. 95 –  perhaps referring only to the circles and not the horned rings?; The present lot has thirteen rings of one type or another, from the centre outwards blue, orange, pink leaves, green 'Sultans heads', yellow and black band, blue 'sun', red 'niches', orange, green serrated 'leaves', pink band, red circle, pink 'Sultans heads' and green niches - encircled with the black and yellow 'rams horns'. With eight ‘spines’ or ‘spokes’ issuing from this and four larger rosettes in each corner flanked by smaller examples. The group usually has a narrow border flanked by motifs, the present examples only framed with the narrow border.

Interestingly in terms of wildness in design and bold, vivacious, colours the present example is most in keeping with a nim susani, recorded by Franses, op. cit, p. 96, fig. 4, in a private Massachusetts collection and belonging to group B, of which there are only three examples - all of which are nim susanis. However the dyes are so compellingly similar it is perhaps possible that these nim susani were initially conceived as a suite to be accompanied with a larger medallion, such as the present lot, for the bridal party. Sadly without more evidence this is purely theoretical but an interesting notion. One of these, again with similar exuberant dyes from the Vok collection, sold Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 12 March 2016, lot 134 for €69,540. Examples of the extraordinary large medallion embroideries are published in notable collections such as the Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection, Grube (2003) no. 1. Grube also lists the other known publications of other large medallion susanis, Grube, ibid, appendix notes 1. Also a further published example, formerly in the hugely celebrated collection of Dr Ignacio Vok, Vok (2006) no. 79, which sold Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 11 April 2015, lot 88 for €103,700.

Dating of these works has been debated, however Franses and Pinner suggest that the large medallions susanis are likely to be amongst the earliest, when compared to other susanis, op cit, p. 132.  There are susanis with early inscribed dates, for example see Grube (2003), p. 6, fig. 19 for a Shakhrisabz susani dated 1146 AH (1734 AD),  which example is also comparable to the Shakhrisabz susani, lot 92 in this sale. On the basis of Franses and Pinner's researches and dated susani such as the example cited, an 18th century date for this group is considered likely.  

"The powerful group of Large Medallion susanis began to appear on the market in the early 80s.¹  The dealer’s and collector’s chase was on. In the year 2000 a great book was edited by Michael Franses listing all the pieces so far known, including this example as A7." (EH)

¹  By 2013, Hali had recorded 15 large medallion susanis as having appeared at auction since the early 1990s, see Hali, (Autumn 2013), Marketplace, p. 120

Franses (1978): Franses. M. & Pinner. R., 'Large Medallion Suzani from South-West Uzbekistan', Hali, 1978, Vol 1. No. 2, pp. 128–133.

Franses (2001): Franses. M., 'Flower Power', Hali, March-April, 2001, issue 115, pp. 93-97

Grube (2003): Grube. E., Keshte Central Asian Embroideries The Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection, New York, 2003, p. 6, fig. 19

Vok (2006): Dr Ignacio Vok, Vok. I., Suzani 2. A Textile Art from Central Asia (Text by Jakob Taube) Munich, 2006, no. 79