This well-known ‘Lakai’ suzani from the former Vok collection is one of the highlights of Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion, on show at the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, until 28 November 2026. It appears in Legacies of Clay and Thread, the exhibition’s final section, which traces the development of Uzbekistan’s traditional crafts, including ceramics, dress, jewellery and textiles.
Ignazio Vok commented in Suzani (1994, pl. 37) that ‘this small cheerful suzani emanates high-spirited bright colours’, and it would be perverse to disagree. He also noted that the yellow-green ground led the embroiderer to use a different palette for the motifs than one would normally find in a white-ground example, helping to give the piece its distinctive texture.
Shakhrisyabz ‘Lakai’ suzani, Uzbekistan, 19th century, silk and wool embroidery on silk. 162 cm x 130 (5’ 4” x 4’ 3”) TFD.2015.18.
© National Collection of Qatar, Qatar Museums, Doha.One particularly striking feature is the exuberant border of large flowers with yellow petals. Their scale and curvilinear form create a strong sense of movement, and while Vok suggested they look more like bird plumage than flowers, to me they call to mind a jester’s hat. The final note is to say that this is quite a small suzani, much smaller than the volume of it composition would suggest.
