Best known textile techniques of Uzbekistan the ‘Silk Road’

History, techniques, processes of fabrics of the Silk road, Uzbekistan - silk, ikat, suzanis, cotton, carpet making & metal embroideries of Central Asia.

October 2022: road trip across the fascinating country of Uzbekistan.

During our journey across Uzbekistan, we traveled by train, car, and plane from the capital of Tashkent to Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and Margilan. I had long dreamt of visiting Uzbekistan in Central Asia, knowing it was part of the Silk Road and presumably had a rich textile tradition. I was most excited about the silk ikat weaving I had encountered in my textile books. Being in this fascinating country felt like a textile paradise, as I was surrounded by exquisite fabrics 24/7, along with magnificent Islamic architecture.

I highly recommend visiting Uzbekistan, even if textiles aren't your primary interest. It's a beautiful country filled with "1001 Nights" vibes, stunning Islamic architecture, and otherworldly landscapes.

Parts of knowledge regarding history and techniques in this blog are based on the book Textiles of the Islamic World, John Gillow.

**SILK IKAT**

**THE STORY OF ABRA - “CLOUD FABRIC”**

The Silk Road connected Eurasia with North Africa via land and sea routes, used by traders for more than 1,500 years. The Han Dynasty opened it in 130 B.C.E., while the Ottomans closed off trade with the West in 1453 C.E. The name "Silk Road" was given because silk was the most important commodity traded. China and Uzbekistan exchanged horses and silk for the first time 15 centuries ago, marking the beginning of a long connection between China and Central Asia.

Uzbekistan is renowned for its warp-ikat silk weavings, called abra, meaning "cloud" in Persian. The story of how ikat weavings came to life goes like this: A princess in ancient times, saddened that she couldn’t marry the man she loved, sat by a lake and caught the reflection of clouds in the water. This inspired the creation of ikats. If you think about it, the design of ikats can resemble colored clouds intertwined with one another.

A silk-rearing industry was established and truly flourished in the 1770s by Shah Murad, Emir of Bukhara. Decorative silk robes became popular among members of the court, their wives, and high society, as did warp-ikat robes for wealthy families. Until the 19th century, silk was reserved for the aristocracy, while the rest of society used cotton. Satin weave, known as atlas, and warp-ikat woven in tabby with a white weft, known as adras, were particularly notable.

We visited a couple of small local silk factories in Margilan (5 hours from the capital, Tashkent) to observe the process of silk production from cocoon to final woven fabric. In fact, there are 37 steps from raw silk to the final product. Most of the process is done by hand, producing up to 8 meters per day with a 30 cm width, though weaving machines with a 50 cm width are also used to some extent. Nowadays, 60% of the silk is produced and exported, mainly to Turkey and other nearby countries. Natural colors are still used to some extent, but chemical dyes dominate.

IKAT PROCESS

The patterns is not applied to the surface of a finished fabric, nor is it woven into the fabric structurally. This process can vary depending on the country.

Parts of the yarns for the warp (vertical threads on a loom) and/or weft (horizontal threads) are protected with a type of resist/ bindings e.g. plastic/tape before dyeing.
The dye then colors the yarn everywhere except where the bindings are.
After dyeing, the bindings are removed and the pattern appears slowly, from each dyeing session. The times of dyeing and repeating this process, depends on the number of colours and the design.
When dyeing is complete, the yarn is then woven into fabric, often in a relatively simple structure and at a density that highlights the warp. Warp-ikat in generally is most common compared to weft-ikat or double- ikat.

Uzbekistan has a high activity within carpet making using both silk and wool. They are weaved on upright looms wrapping yarns around the warps and then cutting them short with a special knife. A carpet e.g. size 2 x 3 meters can take up to 3 years to make with silk as it’s very fine yarns and intricate designs. The denser the higher quality the carpet is.

Embroidery is highly visible in Uzbek textiles and, in general, throughout Central Asia. A notable example is Suzani (a Persian word), where motifs and colors are prominently featured. Suzanis were traditionally used as wall hangings. The cloth used for Suzani is made of several narrow woven pieces that are sewn together in the end.

An expert known as a chizmachi begins by drawing the pattern on the cloth. Then, a needle or a hook needle is typically used with silk threads on either silk, white cotton (known as karboz), or velvet. In the past, thinner, more delicate yarns were used; however, thicker ones are now favored as they are faster to work with. The motifs used in Suzani designs include floral patterns, vegetation, stars, moons, triangles, and more. The stitches used are 'Bokhara couching' used for the filling of specific motifs such as leaves and petals. 'Tambour work' that is a quicker method of creating embroidery resembling chain stitches.

Finding suzani paradise at a local Sunday market in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by golden mountains.

We went to a bazaar in the middle of nowhere—at least, that’s how it felt—called Urgut. We had heard this market had a street devoted to suzanies, and it ended up being a very unique experience. I was surrounded by locals from nearby villages who brought their homemade creations, showing me one after the other—it was a mind-blowing experience. I ended up buying a few old ones, ranging from 20 to 70 years old.

**METAL-THREAD EMBROIDERY**

**BUKHARA THE EPICENTER OF GOLD, GOLD & MORE GOLD!**

At several museums and palaces throughout Uzbekistan, there are many excellent examples of metal-thread embroidery known as zardozi and kalebatun. Bukhara was the epicenter of this technique in all of Central Asia. It can be seen in hats, boots, shoes, robes for kings, and other items. This type of embroidery was exclusively for men, as a superstition held that if a woman touched it, the thread would turn black. There are two kinds of metal-thread embroidery: 1) zamirduzi, where the background cloth is completely covered, and 2) gulduzi, featuring floral patterns with much of the background still visible. The golden thread once contained 30% real gold, but nowadays, it’s only about 5%.

I have never seen such impressive gold embroidery as at the State Art Museum of Uzbekistan in Tashkent—a room filled with royal robes! This museum houses a textile collection that showcases everything Uzbekistan has to offer, including block printing, which was a thriving industry until the 1920s when the communists shut down the workshops. The museum also features doppi (traditional skullcaps) with intricate needlework, often shaped like a four-sided pyramid in dark blue or green and adorned with white motifs such as almonds or chilis. Another great museum is the Museum of Applied Art of Uzbekistan, also in Tashkent.

**COTTON**

**EXPERIENCING COTTON FIELDS FOR THE FIRST TIME & VISITING A COTTON FACTORY IN BUKHARA**

Cotton originates from the Arabic word ‘Kutan’ and was first grown more than 6,000 years ago. Pakistan was the first country where a woven cotton cloth was found about 3,000 BC, while it was brought to Europe by Arabic merchants in 800 AD. By the 1500s cotton was a well-known fiber through out the world. Best quality cotton are 1) Supima from America, 2) Sea Island from the Caribbean and 3) Giza cotton from Egypt, also 4) Pima cotton from Peru.

Uzbekistan has approximately 1 million hectares dedicated to cotton production, making it the fifth largest cotton producer in the world, after countries like India and the USA. The country is ideal for cotton growing; however, during Soviet times, the production was so intense that it led to monoculture, which severely damaged the soil. In the Bukhara region alone, there are 65,000 hectares of cotton, with BCT DENIM Division owning 8,000 of these hectares. Cotton is picked twice a year, in September and October, mostly by hand. The rows of cotton plants are spaced 60 cm apart, and when we visited BCT DENIM Division, there were no machines available, although this has been possible since 2023.

BCT DENIM Division is a major sustainable cotton producer in Uzbekistan and officially began its journey in 2019 with a mission to innovate cotton production practices. The company employs 3,500 people in the fields and 1,500 in the factory and offices. They hold both GOTS and BCI certifications. BCT DENIM owns cotton fields across the country and utilizes various digital tools to track all their fields. They also recycle water used in production and are increasingly using drip irrigation for the cotton plants, while adopting a regenerative approach. Recycling cotton waste is also part of their sustainability agenda.

BCT DENIM Division also collaborates with both European and local designers to create unique collections. Their newest collection, developed in collaboration with an Uzbek fashion designer, particularly caught our attention. It beautifully and organically blends Uzbek textile traditions with denim fabrics.

The company focuses on producing fabrics and jeans collections for small and medium enterprises interested in sustainable cotton production. During our tour of the factory, we were shown the numerous steps involved in making a pair of jeans, and it was truly eye-opening! I knew there were many steps involved, but experiencing the process firsthand was a different level of understanding.

Next time you buy a pair of jeans, consider the extensive processes and numerous hands involved in its creation.