ceremonial hanging (suzani)

An embroidered cloth decorated with three offset rows of medallions within a central field; the large medallions are predominantly red floral forms with orange, red and light blue centers surrounded by dark blue leafy vines; the densely filled central field is surrounded by a narrow outer border containing light blue flowers with dark blue leaves; design motifs are filled solidly with chain stitches worked in silk threads on an undyed plain weave cotton ground fabric; the ground is composed of four long panels of fabric embroidered and then seamed together to form a pre-planned whole; (additional piecing is present at the end of one panel where a more coarsely woven plain weave fabric has been added to extend its length ~2"); the design was drawn on the ground fabric to guide embroidery-thin black design lines are visible outlining small motifs scattered throughout; these small motifs appear to have been worked with black silk thread which is now missing; most visible design lines appear to be the result of this thread loss, but some occur where embroidery was worked differently from what was drawn.

The embroidered top cloth is backed with a red on white printed fabric of stripes containing flowers, paisley motifs and geometric shapes; ~3 ¼" wide bias cut band of ikat dyed silk is present along the outside edges of the back; a woven/braided edging of green, white and light blue silk threads borders all four edges of the front; face and backing fabrics are joined throughout with widely spaced rows of running stitches worked in red, gray and yellow plied silk threads; this stitching is worked parallel to the seams joining the embroidered panels (long-ways); rows of running stitches also occur perpendicular to the panel joining seams across both short edges of the suzani; some notations/markings are present-one "C.V.T." is hand written in black ink on the back side ikat border fabric, near the upper proper right corner-under the stitched on hanging sleeve, and the other-three undecipherable characters-also hand written in black ink at the diagonally opposite corner of the back.