The majority of the items showcased at the Institut du Monde Arabe (the Arab world institute) in Paris, for the exhibition Sur les routes de Samarcande, Merveilles de soie et d’or (On the Roads to Samarkand, Wonders of Silk and Gold), will be exhibited outside Uzbekistan for the very first time.

Across an exhibition area extending over more than 1,100 square meters, visitors will be able to discover nearly 300 unique items, representative of Uzbekistan’s treasures. They include sumptuous chapan overcoats and caftans, gold-embroidered accessories from the Emir’s court, hand-painted wooden saddles, silver horse harnesses set with turquoise, magnificent embroidered drapery known as suzanis, carpets, silk ikats, typical jewellery and nomadic costumes, as well as forty paintings by avant-garde Orientalist artists.

The exhibition celebrates the rebirth of artisanal craftsmanship, an essential element of Uzbek identity, in the 19th and early 20th century. Textiles, like other powerful symbols in the Islamic world, play a crucial role: they grant unique status, they gratify and leave a strong mark in society.

Unique

The exhibition will showcase the art of Uzbek embroidery, symbolised by the stunning suzanis, embroidered silk drapery used to decorate the interiors of urban homes as well as nomadic dwellings. And the art of carpet weaving, bearing witness to the importance of woollen products made by the population of the country’s steppes and mountainous regions, blending aesthetic and practical purposes.

Finally, traditional Uzbek iconography and colours are featured in the renowned silk ikats, fabrics woven using a technique called abrbandi. These multi-coloured fabrics brim with an abundance of motifs, which are also found in other types of craftsmanship, like goldsmithery.

The exhibition is open until June 4 2023 and is organised by the Arab World Institute in Paris with the support of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, which advocates international cooperation and promotes Uzbek culture worldwide.

In parallel, the Louvre Museum will be hosting the exhibition “The Splendours of Uzbekistan’s Oases” until March 6 2023.