Kungrat or Durmen culture, Ilgich, late 19th-early 20th century; Silk, wool, cotton; chain stitch; Gift of Jack A. and Aviva Robinson

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Uzbek Embroidery in the Nomadic Tradition: The Jack A. and Aviva Robinson Collection

Saturday, June 2, 2007—Sunday, August 26, 2007
U.S. Bank Gallery
Free Exhibition

This is an exhibition of Central Asian embroidery made at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries (c. 1880-1930). It will consist of approximately 60 non-utilitarian (no clothing) embroidery made by people making the transition between nomadic and agrarian lifestyles. It will also include a few urban wall panels.

The horse-breeding Lakai, agrarian Kungrat, and settled peoples of Samarkand and Bukhara, who created these embroideries, all lived their lives on the exotic Silk Road that still excites our imagination. Their textiles reflect the diversity and rich aesthetic traditions of Central Asia as well as the identity and cultural values of their creators.

This exhibition is drawn from the superb collection of Central Asian embroideries given to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2004 by Jack and Aviva Robinson. A fully illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition.