Mihrab or Jai-namaz Suzani (18th century): Artwork and History

Mihrab or Jai-namaz Suzani (18th century) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as Bukhara Khanate (in present-day Uzbekistan).

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

Suzanis, from the Persian (Farsi) term suzan, meaning needle, are large, hand-embroidered textiles traditionally made by women in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as part of a bride’s dowry. Larger examples [see 2019.794] would have been used as a wall hanging or bed cover. Bukhāra, Uzbekistan, is well-known for the suzani style with its embroidered frame, as displayed on this example. This arch-like design represents a mihrab, the niche in a mosque that indicates the direction of Makkah (Mecca) for Muslim prayers. When hanging near an entryway, a mihrab suzani serves to welcome guests.

Object facts

• Title: Mihrab or Jai-namaz Suzani
• Date: 18th century
• Artist attribution: Bukhara Khanate (in present-day Uzbekistan)
• Place of origin: Uzbekistan
• Medium: Linen, plain weave; pieced; embroidered with silk
• Dimensions: 138.8 × 87.8 cm (54 5/8 × 34 1/2 in.)
• Type: Textile
• Department: Textiles
• Reference number: 1925.397

Collection credit

Gift of Robert Allerton

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The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.