Gift of Alice L.C. Dodge
Made: Iran, fabric may have been made in India
Early Date: 1770
Late Date: 1825
Materials: silk/piping/braid~gold/buttons~braid~gold
Structure/Technique: single cord selvedge remains on interior of robe, along
back panel
Yarn:supplementary weft;silk;UNTWISTED;;22.5/CM;dark green/light green
Yarn: supplementary weft;metallic-wrapped silk;Z-WRAPPED;;22.5/CM;
Yarn: warp;silk;Z;;63.5/CM;red
Yarn: weft;cotton;Z/PAIRED;;22.5/CM;red
Markings: This handsome coat with trim of metallic braid laid on the cuffs and bodice, would have been but one of several layers of clothing worn by a well-dressed man in the Qajar period. An undershirt and loose, flaring trousers would have been beneath it and a richly colored sash would have been tied over it at the waist. The close-fitting upper portion of the garment, with long sleeves terminating in decoratively shaped cuffs, narrow waist, and underarm vents, recalls late Safavid fashions. The numerous buttons along the cuffs relate to those on the coat dated to the late seventeenth and eighteen centuries (cat. Nos. 41 [TM 3.94] and 43 [TM 3.112], and like them, were probably more decorative than functional. The bell-shaped skirt extends to the ankles, with deep slits at the sides. AN overlapping panel extends from the bodice to the hem. The edges and openings of the coat are interfaced with unpatterned, light-blue silk. The interfacing extends slightly beyond the edge of the garment to form a piping. No other lining is present. The textile from which this coat is constructed could have been woven in Iran or India. Similar to cat. No. 65 [Tm 1975.3.2], the ground weave employs a silk warp and a cotton weft. Brocading wefts create a pattern with an overall lattice enclosing a stylized flower. (gem/C.Bier, 1987)
Dimensions: Length: 50.04”, 127 cm neck to hem
Width: 74.07”, 188 cm cuff to cuff
Observations from Textile Museum Visit by Melinda Haren, Jennifer Davis, and Rose Otter: The qaba is constructed in a similar fashion to 3.94, 3.112 and 1985.5.1. However, the brocade is much heavier with a weight closer to that of modern brocades.
The garment was closed with buttons made in the same fashion as 3.112. However, there is no front trim. Button loops were made of finger loop braiding. The collar and sleeves are edged in gold lace.
The top of the lower side gores are padded to provide additional stiffness at the sides. The lower side gores are only tacked along the sides for the first 1/3 of the gore. The rest of the gore is open to floor, forming slits on the side.
Garment has a panel sewn in to the front which passes under the front opening. This would prevent the under garments from being sewn, when the garment was worn closed.
The qaba would have been slightly ankle length. Sleeves are overlong and end in a point. They are open about 5” from the wrist, along the bottom seam and closed with buttons and loops. In the medieval period the sleeves would have been straight and gathered at the wrist. According to Sir John Chardin, the sleeves were plaited at the shoulder seam, most likely due to the addition of the point on the end sleeves.
Neckline is close and round with a 2” collar that sticks straight up. Buttons begin at the top of the front opening and continue to the bottom of the garment. There is about 1” of space between buttons. Loops complete the garment closure. Loops were inserted into the seam between the garment and the facing.
The garment is faced along all sides with blue silk. Otherwise the garment is unlined.
We did not look at this garment long enough to determine seam construction or stitches used to attach the gold lace.
