Monday, September 09, 2013

antique suzani

 
 I purchased this antique suzani at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul last week.
I was looking for a simply designed vintage example of bokhara couching.
This piece is neither simple nor bokhara.
It is completely chain stitch done with a tambour hook..
I love the four narrow strips of hand woven cotton background, seamed together after being worked.
I love the naturally hand dyed hand loomed silk thread used with love and intuition.
I love the many mends.  This piece is no longer of museum quality.
Yet it  has a mother's love and touch.  I feel it across the century.  It is a family piece.
Ned and I came straight from the Toronto airport over to Kingston.  We needed to empty my father's condominium which has sold.  Dad is now living in Sudbury, much closer to us.

11 comments:

Marianne Hall said...

Funny, at first glance I thought this piece was 'tiny'....It was a surprise to see it hanging. Beautiful.
What an adventure you are on! I"m blowing air in your wings!

Montse Llamas said...

This piece is wonderful. Do you plan to have it hanging at home?

Margaret Cooter said...

So lovely, the embroidery and the history (implied by the mends) of the piece.

Penny Berens said...

That's a beauty, Judy. Glad to hear your father is now close by. I expect he is enjoying life up there.

Karen Thiessen said...

The suzani is gorgeous. I could spend a lot of time looking at it slowly. So much to contemplate.

Nancy said...

The suzani is so simple, yet complex...and stunning to look at! Glad you can have your dad close by now.

Anonymous said...

Oh how gorgeous and how right you are to feel the love and intuition stitched into the piece - fabulous.

Maya Sara Matthew said...

What a beautiful piece. The mending and patching make it more valuable because it was made with love and not merely for commerce.

blandina said...

Absolutely beautiful. I didn't know what a suzani was.

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing this lovely post. I really like your collection. It is very good.
suzani pillows

Amanda H. Pinto said...

The antique suzani which you purchased at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul last week is really fantastic to look at. The Bokhara couching is also very nice. Really, it has a mother's affection and touch.