Fine European and Asian Antiques | Maison Suzanne | Oak Park, Chicago, IL
206 S. Marion St. Oak Park, IL 60302
SIGNATURE SUZANNE
Signature Suzanne designates pieces of European upholstery and pillows that I create using my collection of antique and new fabrics and trims. Chairs and settees are restored and updated with antique textiles from Germany, France, Holland and Japan combined with new leather and fabrics. The result is a piece that works with today’s interiors with style and warmth. Pillows are made from antique French needlepoint and aubusson, silks from Italy, hand blocked mohair from Amsterdam, vintage grain sacks from Germany or antique indigo ikat from Japan. The pillows are a way to enjoy treasured textiles from the past that compliment your décor.
- Suzanne
VINTAGE DANISH CHAIR UPHOLSTERED IN
ANTIQUE RABARI WEDDING SHAWL
Vintage Danish chair masterfully upholstered in an antique Indian Rabari wedding shawl.
Members of the Rabari or Rewari live throughout Rajastha Gujarat, Punjab, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states in India. There are many other Rabari families who also live in Pakistan, especially in the region of Sindh.
Rabaris do have very rich cultural past and present. They are known for their "Rabari Bharat (Embroidery)" ,especially in Kutch. Embroidery is a vital, living and evolving expression of the crafted textile tradition of the Rabaris.
Rabari women diligently do embroidery on textiles as an expression of creativity, aesthetics and identity as far as the tribe’s collective memory goes. Afternoons are time for embroidery in all Rabari villages when women routinely embroider trousseaus, everyday apparel, dowry bags, bride's ghagro (skirt), kanchali (blouse) and ludi (veil), the groom's kediyan or shirt, children's cradle cloths as well as dowry bags and auspicious torans.
Rabari embroidery is very vigorous, with bold shapes. Designs are taken from mythology and from their desert surroundings. They use glass mirrors in various shapes: round, lozenge, rectangular, square, triangular, and beak shaped. The stitches are square chain interlaced with buttonhole for mirror work, single chain, knot, Romanian, blanket interlaced with herringbone, running, and double running. 
Another interesting aspect of Rabari women is their earrings which is the most abstract form of snake earrings. Women in Puskar, Rajasthan describe a mushroom as snake umbrella, because it comes out after the rains and snakes have the habit of hiding under its hood. The nagali earring is supposed to stand for the double shape of the mushroom.
ANTIQUE SUZANI UPHOLSTERED CHAIR
This colorful example of fabric from Uzbekistan enhances and enriches this antique French chair from the late 1800's.
Suzani is a type of embroidered and decorative tribal textile made in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. Suzani is from the Persian سوزن Suzan which means needle. The art of making such textiles in Iran is called سوزنکاری Suzankari (needlework).
The chair, short in stature but wide of the seat, is comfortable for sitting and a striking accent for your room.
ANTIQUE SUZANI CHAIR
Popular design motifs include sun and moon disks, flowers (especially tulips, carnations, and irises), leaves and vines, fruits (especially pomegranates), and occasional fish and birds.
Suzanis were traditionally made by Central Asian brides as part of their dowry, and were presented to the groom on the wedding day.
JAPANESE BORO CHAIRS
19TH CENTURY ITALIAN CHAIRS
These outstanding hand carved gilded Italian chairs, circa 1890, were originally covered in a fine aubusson. Now they have found a new life reupholstered in Japanese boro. Boro means rags in Japanese. The poor farmers were not allowed to wear silk garments. Instead they used hemp, cotton and other natural fibers to hand weave and hand dye the indigo kasuri textiles. Every scrap of indigo was saved and restitched into futon covers. What was once a utilitarian object is now unintended art. The contrast of the gilded chair and the indigo only accentuate the beauty of both elements. Two cultures have become one.
ITALIAN GILDED 19TH CENTURY CHAIRS IN JAPANESE BORO
Note the sashiko stitching on the layers of indigo. As an area of the futon showed wear, another patch of indigo was hand stitched to the futon. The beauty of the patchwork really shows on the seat of the chair in contrast to the hand carved decorative work.
KANTHA UPHOLSTERED CHAIR
Kantha is a running stitch which outlines or forms decorative motifs. It originated in Bangladesh and West Bengal in the 17th century. The original kantha was a "patched cloth" with tiny running stitches, made from recycled saris.
19TH CENTURY ITALIAN ARMCHAIR
Comfort is an important factor in selecting a chair and these are perfect for sitting by the fireside while enjoying a glass of San Giovese. This chair is upholstered with vintage Indian Kantha textile. Traditional kantha stitches are small and very time-consuming, so the end product is more desirable.
19TH CENTURY ITALIAN ARMCHAIR
The chairs have been reconditioned to envirornmental friendly "shabby chic" stature.
Navigate to the Out of India page to view the fine stitching detail