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| Local Name | Sayah |
| Object Category | Overgarment |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of object | c. 20th century |
| Place Of orgin | Iraq |
| Region | Iraq |
| Object Range | Türkiye, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Greece, North Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, et al. |
| Dimensions | Length: 135 cm Width: 102 cm |
| Materials | Silk |
| Technique | Hand Stitched Machine Stitched Woven |
| Color | |
| Motif | Floral |
| Provenance | Gifted, Amah Salimah, 1984 |
| Location | The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative |
| Status | In Storage |
| ZI number | ZI1984.500916.1 IRAQ |
Object Features
This is a woman’s woven silk (georgette
Georgette: (French: Georgette de la Plante – a famous dressmaker), a lightweight, sheer fabric with a dull crimpled surface. It is usually made of silk but can also be made of synthetic fibers. Georgette was first introduced in the early 20th century and was named after the French dressmaker. ) front open robe (sayah
Ṣāyah: (Classical Persian: sāya – shadow; Synonyms: zubūn, qumbāz, gombaz
Gombaz: (Arabic; Synonyms: sayah, zubūn, qumbāz, yalak
Yalak: (Ottoman Turkic: yelek – a hip or waist length vest; from Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest), a short-sleeved waistcoat traditionally worn by men and a long outer robe or tight jacket either sleeveless or short sleeved with a tight bodice traditionally worn by women in the Ottoman controlled Levant. Yalak: (Ottoman Turkic: yelek – a hip or waist length vest; from Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest), a short-sleeved waistcoat traditionally worn by men and a long outer robe or tight jacket either sleeveless or short sleeved with a tight bodice traditionally worn by women in the Ottoman controlled Levant. Ṣāyah: (Classical Persian: sāya – shadow; Synonyms: zubūn, qumbāz, gombaz
Gombaz: (Arabic; Synonyms: sayah, zubūn, qumbāz, yalak
Yalak: (Ottoman Turkic: yelek – a hip or waist length vest; from Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest), a short-sleeved waistcoat traditionally worn by men and a long outer robe or tight jacket either sleeveless or short sleeved with a tight bodice traditionally worn by women in the Ottoman controlled Levant. Yalak: (Ottoman Turkic: yelek – a hip or waist length vest; from Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest), a short-sleeved waistcoat traditionally worn by men and a long outer robe or tight jacket either sleeveless or short sleeved with a tight bodice traditionally worn by women in the Ottoman controlled Levant.
It has a thick western style collar spanning half the neck only and displays short slits on the sides. The piece has no fastening or lining and is partially machine and hand-stitched.
Iraq, located south of Türkiye, was a significant Arab territory under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for approximately four centuries. In the northern province of Mosul, which was then under Ottoman rule, the prevalent modes of dress were heavily influenced by the fashion trends originating in Istanbul.
By the 1930s, the elites of Baghdad, as well as other urban Christian and Jewish communities, had fully transitioned from Ottoman attire to European-style clothing.
However, among the urban Muslim elites and middle classes, the shift towards Westernised clothing occurred more gradually. The vestiges of this shift are seen in pieces like these, which are essentially from a decade or two later.
Links
Charuga: (Possibly Kurdish), a mantle-like embroidered women’s traditional garment from the Qaraqosh region in northern Iraq, traditionally fastened at the shoulder. Historically worn by field workers, it helped conceal dust and dirt, making them less visible during labour, it is a festive garment worn sparingly during festivals and other special occasions.
from Northern Iraq Has Arrived at the TRC!, www.trc-leiden.nl/trc/index.php/en/blog/1378-the-charugaCharuga: (Possibly Kurdish), a mantle-like embroidered women’s traditional garment from the Qaraqosh region in northern Iraq, traditionally fastened at the shoulder. Historically worn by field workers, it helped conceal dust and dirt, making them less visible during labour, it is a festive garment worn sparingly during festivals and other special occasions.
-from-northern-iraq-has-arrvied-at-the-trc. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.