Suzani material has a special place in Heritage Geneve and its cushions. So, we thought we should share its history and meaning behind with you so that you can embrace the uniqueness of this beautiful fabric with a long and deep history.

Suzani is a decorative, embroidered textile and is traditionally made by women living in Central Asian countries, namely Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The word ‘Suzani’ comes from Persian and means needle whereas the art of making Suzani is called ‘Suzandozi’ in Iran and means needlework.

While Suzanis are known for their bright colours, patterns and designs, their important purpose is not as well known as their wonderful embroidered material. Traditionally, Suzanis show a mother’s pure love to their daughter and is usually prepared specially for their daughter’s wedding day to bring happiness, protection and prosperity into their new married life.

As well as the mothers, brides used to make Suzanis as well, usually as part of their dowry, and present these to the groom on the wedding day. The energy and time that goes into creating an embroidered Suzani is the reason why they are so special and make them a form of ‘Living Art’.

Usually, grandmothers would pass the family’s embroidery secret on to the next generation, aiming to endure this beautiful tradition for the existence.

Suzanis of each region have diverse and distinctive features and all symbols have different meanings. Often, the meaning of the ancient inherited symbols are forgotten but we still know the meanings of few of them. For instance, the beautiful floral patterns are the symbol of Islamic paradise garden and is inspired from the ancient Persian Garden of Eden with its Tree of Life.

Astral and solar symbols, on the other hand, represent the heaven’s protection and is predominantly made in Tashkent with Samarkand Suzanis.

In Heritage Geneve, we believe it is important to embrace traditions and different cultures. We also think it is important for us to support local women who make embroidered Suzanis and eliminate the threat of survival due to machine made copies of Suzani. Having a positive impact on such important and beautiful tradition is what makes us Heritage Geneve.

Now, since we know the history well, why don’t you check our Suzani cushions from our website!