The finest embroidery - The Suf embroidery

The name of suf embroidery derived from the word saaf or neat and fine embroidery, this is the reason suf embroidery is mistaken as machine work. Kutch is the region where this embroidery is exercise. It is  complex type of counted  thread embroidery. There is a similarity between Pulkari of Punjab, Baluchi embroidery of Iran, needlework of swat and Hazara in Pakistan. 

The process is laborious and punctilious as the embroidery created is so finely done. 

Origin

During 1971 war between India and Pakistan occur, the refugees came India were the Meghwar  Maaru community who were from Tharparkar in sindh, Pakistan. Suf and kharek are the two embroidery were practice by the woman of this community. 

The artisan from Darbar and Meghwar community narrated that Meghwar were servants of Darbar landlords and Meghwar community who were native of sindh and tharparkar had to embroider for Darbar families. They create a beautiful decorative and apparels for Darbar household. 

The suf is an exceptional embroidery with geometric motifs and it were used to manufacture products like bed sheets, garments, torans and many such items. Special features of the suf embroidery is the lightness of the work, even heavily embroidered piece is easy to handle and wear. 

Technique 

The embroidery features an abundance of floral and leaf motifs. Animals,birds and figurative motifs infrequently made an peacock as designs, but the design had the particular fondness. 

Lath, triangles and leave were the embroidery area blocks were build, no outline is drawn on the fabric to guide the craftsman, who create simple as well as complex geometric patterns rather then design is mentally visualized and calculated according to the design, the cloth size and count and rendered onto it by wrap and woof thread of the fabric. 

Suf is matrix triangles designs formed which is a similarity thread embroidery with satin stitch embroidery done on the backside is created by filling in areas. When flipped, the right side shows an embroidery that is so accurate that it is wrongly understood as machine work. 

Suf needs fabric who’s wrap and weft were same. Thin and sturdy stitches rendered so finely that the maximum space of the mirrors in exposed while the main fabric inside the embroidery did not seen. 

Tradition

This type of embroidery was usually include to enhance a bride’s collection of apparels and also a part of her family gifts to the bridegroom’s family. 

As per social norms it was compulsory for a girl to carry around 30-35 embroidery pieces, though they were married in early age. The girls could not go to her in-laws house till she completes her embroidered piece as result the girl will be mature enough, since few years this tradition is not much practice. 

Current condition 

Currently only few households are practicing this intricate, Painstaking and time consuming form of embroidery. At present only those artisan who have migrated are aware of suf embroidery. Since 30-35 years suf was not Practiced and trend of practicing suf embroidery was persistent. 

Conclusion 

The time and place of the origin of the embroidery were not aware by the artisan but,  they have approximate idea of origin and age of the embroidery. Though the embroidery have adopts changes due to various factors such as religious, cultural, social economic and commercial. It is advisable that government should step forward in implementing the preservation of the embroidery before it reaches to extinction. 

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