Coat Item Number: 3231/19 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Woman’s full-length, A-line, colourful robe or coat, with long tapered sleeves; open at centre front from neck to hemline, no closures; made of red, yellow, purple, green and blue warp-ikat textile; silk warp, cotton weft; surface glazed with egg white(?). Gathering at the sides just under the sleeves. 16 cm vertical slits at each side at the hem. Front edges and bottom hem trimmed with 2.3 cm blue, pink and off white tablet-woven braid; sleeve hems trimmed with pink, blue, black and off-white 1.5 cm tablet woven braid. Body is lined with black and off-white checked cotton textile; sleeves lined with orange and off-white cotton textile; edges of the body of the garments are faced on the inside with bias strips of multi-coloured ikat textile (silk warp, cotton weft); sleeves faced with bias strips of brightly coloured floral printed cotton textile.
History Of Use
Ikat robes were worn by men, women and children of various cultures. Women’s robes incorporate extra fullness under the sleeves, for wearing ease, and the front opening is typically wide at the chest area, to show the lavish jewelry that women often wore. Robes were worn on top of a shirt, tunic or dress and with wide drawstring pants. Several robes may have been worn at once, layered one over another, to display rank and/or wealth. The cotton textiles which were typically used to line robes made in Central Asia were manufactured in Russia for the Central Asian market. Following the Russian Revolution, the workshops that made ikat robes like this one, which had been organized around family and social networks, were disbanded by the Soviet government, replaced by collective practices in factories. Eventually the making and wearing of ikat robes disappeared. Joanna Stankiszkis reports that this robe may have been worn by resettled people in Afghanistan.
Narrative
Joanna Staniszkis purchased this robe and most other robes in the 3231 accession in Istanbul, shortly after the dissolution of the USSR; the robes had been previously stored in trunks for a considerable length of time.
Specific Techniques
Warp-faced ikat technique. Egg-white glaze.
Iconographic Meaning
The decorative braid or embroidery on all outside edges of ikat robes was believed to be an essential part of the garment, as it prevented evil spirits from infecting the wearer.
Item History
- Made in Uzbekistan before 1900
- Collected in Istanbul, Turkey during 1991
- Owned by Joanna Staniszkis before March 20, 2017
- Received from Joanna Staniszkis (Donor) on March 20, 2017
What
- Name
- Coat
- Identification Number
- 3231/19
- Type of Item
- coat
- Material
- egg white glaze, silk fibre, cotton fibre and dye
- Manufacturing Technique
- warp-faced ikat
- Overall
- height 122.0 cm, width 149.0 cm
Who
- Culture
- Uzbek
- Previous Owner
- Joanna Staniszkis
- Received from
- Joanna Staniszkis (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Uzbekistan
- Collected in
- Istanbul, Turkey
When
- Creation Date
- before 1900
- Collection Date
- during 1991
- Ownership Date
- before March 20, 2017
- Acquisition Date
- on March 20, 2017
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 3231/19