Central Asian ikats from the Rau collection

Man's robe with large spots on a bright pink background, Bukhara, Uzbekistan, about 1900. Silk and cotton, lined with cotton. From the Rau collection

The vibrancy and inventiveness of ikat design, and the clues these textiles provide about everyday life, are central to the appeal of Central Asian ikats. These fabrics are at once full of urban energy, and steeped in the long history of textile making in this region.

Ikat is a style of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft before the threads are woven to create a pattern or design.

In the 19th century Central Asia experienced a period of economic and cultural growth, and the golden age of ikat making was closely bound up with this new dynamism. Centres across Central Asia, such as Samarkand and Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan, and Kabul and Kunduz in Afghanistan, grew in size and prosperity. A new market for luxury ikat textiles emerged alongside this expansion. Eventually, whole neighbourhoods came to house the dyers, weavers, binders and designers whose collaborative activity went into the making of ikat fabrics. These fabrics had two roles in Central Asian urban society.  They were used in clothing as markers of status, or as hangings within the home.

The textiles shown here are mostly on loan from the Rau collection. Pip Rau is a leading collector of Central Asian and Afghan textiles and jewellery. Hers is the most important collection of this material in the UK and one of the best in the world. This collection gives us a view of the extraordinary range of Central Asian ikats made in the 19th century. Some pieces from the V&A’s collections are also on shown in the images below.

Woman's robe with large red circle design, from the Rau collection

Woman's robe with large red circle design on white background
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
1850 - 1875
Silk and cotton, lined with printed cotton
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Woman's dress with blue boteh design, from the Rau collection

Woman's dress with blue 'boteh' (paisley) design on a yellow background
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
About 1890
Silk
From the Rau collection
Image © V&A

Wall hanging with embroidered design on dark blue ikat, from the Rau collection

Wall hanging with embroidered design on dark blue ikat
Ferghana, Uzbekistan
1875 - 1900
Silk and cotton
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Man's robe with pink and blue squares, from the Rau collection

Man's robe with pink and blue squares on a white background
Uzbekistan
After 1900
Silk and cotton, lined with printed cotton
From the Rau collection
Image © V&A

Velvet ikat cloth, from the Rau collection

Velvet ikat cloth
Central Asia
1800 - 1900
Silk velvet
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Ikat fragment with seven colours, from the Rau collection

Ikat fragment with seven colours (haft rang)
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
1825 - 1850
Silk and cotton, backed with printed cotton
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Velvet ikat cloth. Museum no. T.30-1930

Velvet ikat cloth
Central Asia
1800 - 1900
Silk velvet
Museum no. T.30-1930

Woman's robe with yellow and white circles, from the Rau collection

Woman's robe with yellow and white circles on a red background
Uzbekistan
1800 - 1900
Silk and cotton, lined with printed cotton, embroidered at neck and sleeves
From the Rau collection
Image © V&A

Woman's dress with purple, pink and yellow design

Woman's dress with purple, pink and yellow design on an orange background
Central Asia
After 1900
Silk and cotton, embroidered at the neck
From the Rau collection
Image © V&A

Ikat hanging with red circle design, from the Rau collection

Ikat hanging with red circle design on a white background
Uzbekistan
1800 - 1900
Silk and cotton
From the Rau collection
Image © V&A

Woman's robe with purple, from the Rau collection

Woman's robe with purple, blue and yellow design on a white background
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
1825 - 1850
Silk and cotton
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Woman's robe, Central Asia

Woman's robe
Central Asia
1800 - 1900
Silk and cotton
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Wall hanging with seven colours, from the Rau collection

Wall hanging with seven colours (haft rang) on a white background
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
1800 - 1825
Silk and cotton
From the Rau collection
Image © V&A

Man's robe with zigzag design, from the Rau collection

Man's robe with zigzag design
Afghanistan
About 1900
Silk and cotton, lined with printed cotton
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Man's robe with yellow squares on pink, purple and green stripe design

Man's robe with yellow squares on pink, purple and green stripe design
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
About 1910
Silk and cotton, lined with printed cotton
From the Rau collection
© The Rau Collection

Woman's dress with embroidered neck, from the Rau collection

Woman's dress with embroidered neck, from the Rau collection

Man's robe, Samarkand, from the Rau collection

Man's robe, Samarkand, from the Rau collection

Velvet ikat cloth. Museum no. 2145 (IS)

Velvet ikat cloth. Museum no. 2145 (IS)

Child's robe, from the Rau collection

Child's robe, from the Rau collection

Wall hanging with oval comb design, from the Rau collection

Wall hanging with oval comb design, from the Rau collection

Wall hanging with red circles, from the Rau collection

Wall hanging with red circles, from the Rau collection

Woman's robe with red, green, blue and yellow design, from the Rau collection

Woman's robe with red, green, blue and yellow design, from the Rau collection

Man's robe with large spots on a bright pink background, from the Rau collection

Man's robe with large spots on a bright pink background, from the Rau collection

Ikat length with heart shapes and 'hamsa' design. Museum no. 2150A (IS)

Ikat length with heart shapes and 'hamsa' design. Museum no. 2150A (IS)

Robe with bright pink squares, from the Rau collection

Robe with bright pink squares, from the Rau collection

Woman's dress with purple, from the Rau collection

Woman's dress with purple, from the Rau collection

Man's robe, Central Asia, from the Rau collection

Man's robe, Central Asia, from the Rau collection

Patchwork wall hanging with ikat squares and border, from the Rau collection

Patchwork wall hanging with ikat squares and border, from the Rau collection

Ikat length with red design. Museum no. 2110 (IS)

Ikat length with red design. Museum no. 2110 (IS)

Ikat length with blue and purple design. Museum no. IS.1366-1883

Ikat length with blue and purple design. Museum no. IS.1366-1883

Ikat length with pink, yellow and blue design on green background. Museum no. 79

Ikat length with pink, yellow and blue design on green background. Museum no. 7941 (IS)

Ikat length with a dark blue background. Museum no. 2112 (IS)

Ikat length with a dark blue background. Museum no. 2112 (IS)

Ikat length with red squares. Museum no. 2106 (IS)

Ikat length with red squares. Museum no. 2106 (IS)

Ikat length with red medallions. Museum no. 7941A (IS)

Ikat length with red medallions. Museum no. 7941A (IS)

The V&A exhibition Central Asian Ikats from the Rau Collection ran from 5 November 2007-30 March 2008.

Central Asian Ikats, a fully illustrated introduction to the magnificent ikats of Central Asia by Ruby Clark is available from the V&A Museum Online Shop.