A large medallion Suzani embroidery, Bokhara, Uzbekistan,

Franses, Michael, The Great Embroideries of Bukhara, London, 2000, fig. A18, p. 60.

Hali, issue 103, p. 61.

Large medallion suzani such as the present lot have an unusually bold and powerful design among the generally more delicate works of Central Asian embroidery.  The prominent medallion is supported by a multitude of decorations executed in a wide variety of color creating a brazen needlework tour de force.  According to Michael Franses there are 54 large medallion suzani known, see Franses, Michael, The Great Embroideries of Bukhara, London, 2000.  The author further classifies these embroideries into design types A through J, with the present embroidery being one of the 22 belonging to group A.

For similar examples sold at auction please see Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, November 22, 1997, lot 169; Christie's New York, December 17, 1997, lot 36 and Rippon Boswell, November 20, 1999, lot 173.