Central Asia, 20th Century Cotton fabric embroidered with a floral pattern with pomegranate, a recurring motif in the classic Suzani textiles, possibly borrowed from the Turkish tulip.The term Suzani comes from the Persian and means needle, with a clear reference to the art of textiles and embroidery. The art of weaving is a relatively recent phenomenon in Central Asia because, although known and practiced even in ancient times in the area of Turkestan, and then re-evaluated under the Timurids, it not flourish until the 1770's, when Shah Murad, Emir of Bokhara, founded a silk factory in the valley of Zarafashan, triggering the production of luxury fabrics that lasted until impact with the Soviet regime, that led to the standardization of the manufacture and to the use of chemical colours. (Cfr. John Gillow, Textiles of the Islamic World, Thames & Hudson, 2013, p. 184-202). lxh 188 x 245 cm