Mens ikat coat from Uzbekistan
Object No. 85/1439
Coat, mens, ikat, silk velvet, maker unknown, Uzbekistan, c. 1935-1975
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Summary
Physical Description
Coat, mens, silk ikat velvet, Uzbekistan, mid 19th century. The coat is pieced together from narrow panels of cut pile ikat velvet, and is hand-stitched throughout. The background colour is a dark emerald green, with scrolling and curvilinear pattern motifs in yellow, purple, red, blue and white. The coat is A-line in shape, with centre front opening and long sleeves. It is lined with red cotton fabric printed with light green botehs. The neckline, front opening and hem are trimmed with a narrow band of woven braid with a red background and yellow, purple and white cross-stitched S-shaped motifs. The broad cuffs are of striped cotton twill, decorated with embroidered linear patterns in red, green, blue, yellow, black, white and orange. The cuffs are edged with the same braid as is used around the neckline, front opening and hem.
DIMENSIONS
Height
1220 mm
Width
1425 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The design motif on the centre back of the coat resembles an amulet or other form of jewellery, while the yellow curving forms are probably derived from rams' horns. Plants and animals such as pomegranites, trees and tulips, scorpions, birds and spiders are commonly abstracted for use as motifs in Uzbek ikats. While in ethnic and regional contexts these motifs served as powerful protective symbols, the ikat designer often had an eye to the market and was more mindful of selling power of a design. The fabric of the coat is silk ikat velvet, known as baghmal by Uzbek and Tadjik people. Ikat-dyed warps many times the finished length of the fabric form the raised velvet pile. These warp threads were arranged alternately on the loom between plain orange or pink foundation warps, and both these warp systems were secured by silk wefts. The cloth was woven in plain velvet technique in which, to form the pile, the ikated warps are raised to form loops over a grooved wire; a razor is drawn through the wire groove, leaving a perfectly even, clearly ikated pattern on the pile.
HISTORY
Notes
Velvet ikat coats like this were only worn by the elite class of men, probably either rulers, their courtiers, or rich merchants. They were sometimes given as formal gifts as robes of honour to ambassadors, provincial governors, etc. On occasions when it was important to make an impression, several coats were worn, one on top of another; coats like this were the finest you could own, and were always worn as the outer garment. Purchased from Nomadic Rug Traders, Sydney, in 1985. No information about its previous owners is available.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Purchased 1985
Acquisition Date
5 August 1985
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