Lakai Saddle Cover

This is a Lakai (Lakhai) saddle cover made in Uzbekistan in the 19th century. It is silk embroidery on cotton, featuring a boteh pattern design with rosettes and an intricate flowered border.

The Lakhai (or Lakai) are a nomadic tribe of Uzbekistan, northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan. They are known for their brightly colored geometric embroideries. These textiles are highly individualized, made up of abstract designs chosen by the women who made them. Some of these abstractions are sourced from the animal world, though they are expressive rather than representational. Motifs that can be described as scorpions, spiders, snakes, birds of prey and rams’ horns were commonly used, but the individual embroiderer had the freedom to alter these shapes and create her own composition as she saw fit.