Brought to Central Asia from Persia, the tall and narrow evergreen cypress tree was a powerful symbol for eternity and male beauty. However, such associations in ikat patterns were far less metaphorical, especially as the cypress rarely appears in green.
On this bold chapan cypress-like motifs alternate with yellow and white anthropomorphic shapes that may be interpreted as a figural mother goddess, in the form of a woman with a head, curving arms, and rounded body. Another striking blue and green chapan features repeats of a relatively small abstracted cypress tree stretched vertically. The motif is cohesive overall and may be difficult to discern at first glance.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "The Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in private collections of the USA and Canada" (volume XXXI) in the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
