The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of February 23, 2026
Wall Hanging
1850–1899
Average: 248.5 x 161.3 cm (97 13/16 x 63 1/2 in.)
Bequest of James Parmelee 1940.602
Location: Not on view
Description
Embroideries known as suzani, after the Persian and Tajik word for needle (suzan), feature bold floral and foliate motifs enriched with several shades of red and crimson silk thread. This example suggests a lush garden enriched with single flowering plants alternating with a bird’s-eye view of blossoms in a foliate diamond trellis. Either a skilled family member or a professional drew the pattern in black ink (still visible) on five loosely joined cotton cloths; female family members disassembled them for stitching and reassembled them upon completion. Suzanis were made in many towns, generally with distinctive artistic and technical characteristics.- ?–1940James Parmelee [1855–1931], Cleveland, OH and Washington, DC, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art1940–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Vok, Ignazio, and Jakob Taube. Suzani: a textile art from Central Asia: Vok collection. 1994. similar to cat. no. 29
- Islamic art rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 18, 2014-December 14, 2015).
- {{cite web|title=Wall Hanging|url=false|author=|year=1850–1899|access-date=23 February 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1940.602