WHAT TO COLLECT NOW: SUZANI TEXTILES
The colorful, embroidered wall hangings and coverlets known as “suzani” have long been admired by antique-textile collectors. Made in central Asia since the 1800s, suzani textiles traditionally feature bold floral designs worked in red, orange, and blue silk threads on cotton backgrounds. But their popularity and relative scarcity have driven the prices of 19th-century suzanis up into the $6,000 to $10,000 range in recent years.

The focus, even among antique-textile dealers and collectors, is now turning to semi-antique suzanis, which date from the early 1900s, as well as contemporary suzanis being handmade in central Asia today. “The best new suzanis are made in patterns inspired by 19th-century suzanis,” says Marla Mallett (marlamallett.com), an Atlanta-based dealer. “I handle mostly antique textiles, but I can’t resist these new suzanis.” The semi-antique suzanis from the early 20th century are often fragile and require careful handling, says Mallett. The contemporary suzanis, which are worked with silk threads on silk-cotton backgrounds, have the beauty of the antique suzanis but are sturdy enough to be either wall hangings or coverlets.

Prices for the semi-antique, early 1900s suzanis are in the $1000 to $1,500 range. Prices for the best contemporary suzanis run $300 to $1,200.

To learn more about suzanis, check out the article on contemporary Uzbek suzanis, authored by dealer Marla Mallett, at marlamallett.com. Also, take a look at the antique suzanis collected by American heiress Doris Duke for her Honolulu home, Shangri-La: shangrilahawaii.org. Duke built Shangri-La in 1937 and collected objects for it up until her death in 1993; the collection includes more than a dozen 19th- and early 20th-century suzanis.

SUZANI PHOTO COURTESY OF MARLA MALLETT