Caftan, 8th–10th century
Caucasus Mountains
Silk, linen, and fur; Coat: H. 56 in. (142.2 cm),
W. 60 in. (152.4 cm); Leggings: H. 32 in. (81.3 cm)
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1996 (1996.78.1)

 Click here to see another Kaftan from this same region.

"The original linen coat (caftan), preserved in part from the neck to the bottom of the hem, is made of finely woven linen. A decorative strip of large-patterned silk is sewn along the exterior and interior edges of the caftan. A minute fragment of lambskin preserved as the caftan's interior attests to its fur lining. The woven patterns on the silk borders of the caftan include motifs such as the rosettes and stylized animal patterns enclosed within beaded roundels, which were widespread in Iranian and Central Asian textiles of the sixth to ninth century. The colors used in the textile include a now-faded dark blue, yellow, red, and white on a dark brown ground. The decorated silk fabrics are a compound twill weave (samit in modern classification) and the body of the garment is plain-weave linen. Two slits running up the back of the caftan make it particularly suitable as a riding costume."

The light colored areas are areas of reconstruction.

This information was obtained from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah.

This picture, showing a similar caftan opened up, is from Riding Costume in Egypt, Origin and Appearance, Cacilia Fluck & Gillian Vogelsand-Eastwood (editors), Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands, 2004