COURTESY DORIS DUKE FOUNDATION FOR ISLAMIC ART A ruidjo (wedding sheet) suzani, made in Bukhara in the late ninth century. The intricate floral, patterned border of suzani reflects the Islamic style of art. Wedding suzani are plain in the center to purposely reveal their wear and tear through the years.

History in every stitch

The city of Bukhara in the Republic of Uzbekistan is more than 2,000 years old. Predominantly Muslim since the eighth century, the long-enduring art motifs of the city, as in most Islamic art, are intricate floral adornment and decorative borders pleasing to the eyes and soul. The floral motif symbolizes fertility and prosperity and adorns everything from jewelry and dishware to furniture and textiles.

Bukhara is long famous for its centuries-old handwork tradition of the "suzani," bold and colorful textile embroidery. Historically made by women for their daughters' dowries, suzani continue to decorate Central Asian homes as wall hangings, tablecloths, bedding and curtains.

The East-West Center Art Program, along with the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, allows us a peek at Bukhara artistry in "Enduring Threads: Central Asian Embroidered Textiles," which runs through Jan. 19 at the East-West Center Art Gallery. On exhibit are suzani collected by Duke and various other items that display the beauty of the Islamic artistic sensibility.

Along with the art pieces in the show are photographs of contemporary suzani craftswomen at work, suzani in various stages of production and a video that profiles Bukhara. Reflecting its scholarly perspective, the East-West Center show provides printed history lessons alongside the displays, which discuss the region, its traditions and the cultural significance of Bukhara's presence along the Silk Road.

The East-West Center Art Gallery is located in the center at John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Road on the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Visitor parking is $3. On Sundays, parking is usually free and ample.

HERMINE DREYFUSS Suzani continue to be handmade today.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM The wooden door, above, was crafted in 19th-century Iran. The floral motif so common in Islamic art symbolizes abundance, renewal and the promise of paradise in the afterlife.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM A gold pendant adorned with rubies in a floral motif, from the 16th or 17th century. Both items are from the Doris Duke collection.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM The dishes reflect the influence of the Silk Road on the art of Asian cultures. The footed dish is Chinese; the other is Turkish. When China began exporting its blue-and-white ceramics to the Islamic world, the Ottoman Court (1281-1924) in Turkey began collecting them. In time, Turkish potters began producing similar wares.