Embellished silk robe – Iraq

Object Note  

Part of a set with another item (ZI2019.500525a IRAQ) also in the collection.  

Object History 

This piece was donated to The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative by Basūs & Asīl Hāfuth in 2019 to be added to and enhance The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative collection. 

The piece originally belonged to Khawla, Basūs & Asīl’s mother, Shahbal Fakhri Al-Kafaf, who was a matriarch to a large, venerable Iraqi family and wore it in c. 1989. Born in Baghdad in 1923 to an Iraqi father and a Turkish mother,r Shahbal was known for her wit, elegance, and graciousness. She epitomised the best of Baghdad society of her time. 

The family has enjoyed close ties with that of Dr. Reem over several years, with friendship between the members of both families in every succeeding generation.  

Object Features  

This is a woman’s 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. ) and lurex woven front open robe (sayah

Ṣāyah: (Classical Persian: sāya – shadow; Synonyms: zubūn, qumbāz, gombaz, yalak

Yalak: (Ottoman Turkic: yelek Yelek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Jilek), short waist or hip length vest traditionally worn by both Ottoman men and women throughout the empire. Ranging from sleeveless to full sleeves, these vests were usually front open and without any fastenings. Often cepken jackets were used as 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.

), long front open, unlined, lightweight silk traditional cloak with quarter or no sleeves fastened at the waist often worn by men and women in the Levant, Fertile Crescent, and Najd regions.

). It features loose half sleeves and side slits. The sayah

Ṣāyah: (Classical Persian: sāya – shadow; Synonyms: zubūn, qumbāz, gombaz, yalak

Yalak: (Ottoman Turkic: yelek Yelek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Jilek), short waist or hip length vest traditionally worn by both Ottoman men and women throughout the empire. Ranging from sleeveless to full sleeves, these vests were usually front open and without any fastenings. Often cepken jackets were used as 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.

), long front open, unlined, lightweight silk traditional cloak with quarter or no sleeves fastened at the waist often worn by men and women in the Levant, Fertile Crescent, and Najd regions.

displays a dense arrangement of large floral motifs woven with golden colour lurex. It is a modern technique of embellishment that emulates the use of metal thread (kalabdun

Kalabdūn: (Hindustani: kalabattu / kalabattun gold or silver threads; or Dravidian and Sanskrit: pattu or patt – a kind of fine fibre or silk; or Sanskrit: kalavatu – fine material), the gold wire used in embroidery and other embellishments on textiles and fabrics.

), often in silver or gold.  

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 completely machine-stitched. The design of the piece features large floral and foliage patterns along a wide branch meandering all over the field of the piece. 

The use of kalabdun

Kalabdūn: (Hindustani: kalabattu / kalabattun gold or silver threads; or Dravidian and Sanskrit: pattu or patt – a kind of fine fibre or silk; or Sanskrit: kalavatu – fine material), the gold wire used in embroidery and other embellishments on textiles and fabrics.

on pieces like this would often result in it being called sayah

Ṣāyah: (Classical Persian: sāya – shadow; Synonyms: zubūn, qumbāz, gombaz, yalak

Yalak: (Ottoman Turkic: yelek Yelek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Jilek), short waist or hip length vest traditionally worn by both Ottoman men and women throughout the empire. Ranging from sleeveless to full sleeves, these vests were usually front open and without any fastenings. Often cepken jackets were used as 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.

), long front open, unlined, lightweight silk traditional cloak with quarter or no sleeves fastened at the waist often worn by men and women in the Levant, Fertile Crescent, and Najd regions.

kalabdun

Kalabdūn: (Hindustani: kalabattu / kalabattun gold or silver threads; or Dravidian and Sanskrit: pattu or patt – a kind of fine fibre or silk; or Sanskrit: kalavatu – fine material), the gold wire used in embroidery and other embellishments on textiles and fabrics.

, meaning a robe with metal thread. Pieces like this will often be worn with a traditional undergarment (gömlek

Gömlek: (Proto-Turkic: köyŋelek – Shirt; Azerbaijani: köynək – Shirt; Turkmen: koynek Koynek: A traditional long, loose-fitting tunic or dress worn by Turkmen women in Central Asia typically made of silk or cotton, adorned with intricate embroidery, and often characterized by vibrant colours and geometric patterns. It is cultural symbol of significant importance reflecting the artistic heritage of Turkmen people. ­ – long loose tunic dress), a traditional calf-length sleeved undershirt or tunic generally made of a plain white cotton, silk, or linen fabric, some more lightweight than others, worn by both Ottoman men and women of all communities throughout the empire. 

), which took the form of a Western-style chemise by the 20th century. It would be topped with a T-shaped tunic-style robe or overgarment (thawb Thawb: (Arabic: thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thobe Thobe: (Arabic: thawb, Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women in the Arabian Gulf region.  ) of different styles, the most popular of which was the (hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb Thawb: (Arabic: thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thobe Thobe: (Arabic: thawb, Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women in the Arabian Gulf region.   from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

). 

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 which are seen through pieces like these, which are essentially from a decade or two later. 

Links 

• Zieme, Peter. Silk and Wad in Old Turkish Terminology. - Turkdilleri.Org, www.turkdilleri.org/turkdilleri/sayilar/tda7/PZieme.pdf 
• Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.  
• Stillman, Yedida Kalfon, and Norman A. Stillman. Arab Dress: From the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times. Brill, 2003.  
• Scarce, Jennifer. Womens Costume of the near and the Middle East. RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.  
• Rubens, Alfred. A History of Jewish Costume. 1981.  
• “Clothing And Fashion, Middle East" Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450. . Encyclopedia.Com. 8 Jan. 2024 .” Encyclopedia.Com, Encyclopedia.com, 29 Jan. 2024, www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/clothing-and-fashion-middle-east.  
• Baghdad, 10th Century the Dress of a Non-Muslim Woman, sayyidajahanara.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/baghdad-costume.pdf. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.  
• A Charuga

  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-charuga

  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-arrvied-at-the-trc. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.  
• “Clothing.” Kurdish Central, 18 Nov. 2021, kurdishcentral.org/clothing/.  
• Foundation, Encyclopaedia Iranica. “Clothing of the Kurdish Jews.” Encyclopaedia Iranica, iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xvii. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.  
• “Learn about Kurdish Dress.” The Kurdish Project, 2 Aug. 2016, thekurdishproject.org/history-and-culture/kurdish-culture/kurdish-dress/.