October 7, 2018 Central Asian Embroideries Classified by Tribe Talk by Ali Istalifi Some pictures click on the thumbnail for the full picture. Being at the heart of the silk road, almost all of the tribes of Central Asia had a rich tradition of silk embroideries. Unfortunately, the current map of the region (drawn after the Soviet invasion in the 1920’s) simplifies the complex ethnic make-up of this vast land and therefore makes the understanding of the various rich silk embroidery traditions complicated. By categorizing and exploring the specific qualities of silk embroideries of the region, it becomes possible to differentiate silk embroideries made by Uzbek, Turkoman, Kirghiz, Tajik and other groups. Ali Istalifi, an expert in Central Asian silk textiles, is a textile dealer based in London. He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in the late 1970’s. During the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s his father, Abdul Istalifi, was one of the five major dealers of rugs, textiles and antiques of Central Asia in the Kabul rug market. The family left Afghanistan when the Taliban gained power in the 1990s. Starting in 2002, his family and others went back to rebuild his father’s ancestral town of Istalif, and to revive its pottery crafts. During this period, Ali built an exceptional collection of ikats, suzanis and other silk textiles, and then began selling pieces to collectors in the US and Europe. In connection with an exhibition of ikats at the Birmingham Museum of Arts (Alabama) in 2016, he wrote an extensive essay on ikat fabrics of the region and the meaning behind their designs. He spoke at the 2016 World Ikat Symposium held at SOAS university in the Brunei Gallery. He has recently spoken to the Oriental Textile and Rug Society of Great Britain (ORTS). return to home page