Sucharewa in chapter 4 of SUSANI USBEKISTANS discusses the ornaments in Samarkand embroideries. On page 82 of the German edition there are photographs of lamps used which have a central receptical and four branches with openings for wicks. These lamps are commonly used as motives in embroidery. Ms. Sucharewa on pages 80 - 82 discusses this motive. Points discussed are:

Protection and the role of fire.
Healing properties of flame
A lit lamp was passed over the head of the bride and bridegroom.
Lamp always lit in the room of a new born.
Lamp in the room of newlyweds [therefore this motive is newlyweds' embroidery]

The motive may seem floral because the lamps themselves were often decorated with floral motives.

She then continues briefly with some analysis of color which stresses flaming red and a use of yellow or green. . .

Reinhold Schletzer Verlag is the publisher. The book is in soft cover and not well made but worthwhile if you can mange the German. I checked some years ago and it wasnt in English. Maybe by now it is.

I have seen/ heard the use of 4+1 used to discribe the motive which I think is a very good discription.

Sincerely

Richard Farber

Thank you for the very interesting information. The "flame" is an old protective motif, too, and I'll bet it goes back to the stone age, when a fire was the source of light after the sun went down, and was protection against predators.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the first of the four pieces I showed was a dowry wrapper. it is much more regular and formal, and has fewer colors than the others. The other three seem (to me) not to fall within the "dowry wrapper range", and I suspect that they are baby protectors. It is conceivable, of course, that the same textile could serve both purposes, although my impression from Chenciner's account of things is that this is not what occurs.

Regards,

Steve Price