“Bukharian pattern” pure silk ikat fabric by Rasul Mirzaakhmedov
I recently discovered a book "The yarn connecting generations" published in Tashkent in 2017. The book is in Uzbek and Russian. The book is a tribute to works of two ikat artisans from Margilan - Turgunboy and Rasul Mirzaakhmedovs, a famous father and son duet. They revived some Central Asian ikat patterns lost during the Soviet times and created many new ones. Turgunboy Mirzaakhmedov passed away years ago - God bless his soul. Rasul, the 9th generation abrbandi ikat maker is continuing his legacy. It was interesting to read the book since I personally knew late Turgunboy aka and know Rasul.
Suzani embroidery: history and present days
I’m reading an amazing book “Silk and cotton: Textiles from the Central Asia that was“ by Susan Meller. My main interest in this book was ikat fabric patterns and antique Ikat ropes. However, the book covers so many areas of Central Asian textiles! There is a whole chapter in the book about Central Asian suzani embroidery.
UzbekAlive's main focus is on ikats but I still wanted to write a short blog post about suzanis to give you some history behind these beautiful embroidered textiles. History creates a background behind a specific product. This way when you buy a little something with a history you end up acquiring knowledge and a piece of cultural heritage.