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Striped silk sleeveless jacket – Aleppo

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Local NameYalak
Object CategoryOvergarment    
GenderFemale    
Date of objectc. 1900s
Place Of orginSyria
RegionAleppo
Object RangeSyria, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Türkiye et al
DimensionsLength: 118 cm Width: 64 cm
MaterialsSilk    Cotton    Metal    
TechniqueHand Stitched    Hand Embroidered    
Color
MotifGeometric    Floral    
ProvenancePurchased, Linda Pastorino, USA 2019
LocationThe Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative
StatusIn Storage
ZI numberZI2019.500497 SYRIA

Object History  

This piece was purchased by Dr. Reem Tariq

Ṭariq: (Arabic; Synonym: tulle_bi_talli; talli; badla; khus_dozi ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the Levant Arab region specifically in Lebanon.

El Mutwalli Dr. Reem Tariq

Ṭariq: (Arabic; Synonym: tulle_bi_talli; talli; badla; khus_dozi ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the Levant Arab region specifically in Lebanon.

el Mutwallī: Founder (CEO) of the Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative, a public figure, speaker and author. An expert curator and consultant in Islamic art and architecture, interior design, historic costume, and UAE heritage.
from Ms. Linda Pastorino, a social media acquaintance of Dr. Reem from the USA 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.  


Object description 

This is a front open, sleeveless possibly women’s jacket (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.

) in striped (çitari) silk of red, yellow, and black featuring embroidered and (appliqued Appliqued: (French: appliquer – Apply), ornamental needlework where small pieces of decorative fabric are sewn on to a larger piece to form a pattern.) embellishment and a deep ‘U’ shaped neckline.  

The field of the 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.

is primarily plain except for the embroidered embellishment that adorns its neckline and shoulders. Roughly six tiers of embellishment can be noticed between the shoulders and the neckline besides the hemline trimmings.  

A green patch flanked by orange and ivory corded cotton ribbon is adorned with metal thread possibly in silver. A repeat of a toothlike pattern is featured using a type of (chain_stitch Chain_stitch: An embroidery technique where a looped stitch is made in a continuous chain-like pattern. Each stitch is formed by looping the thread through the previous stitch, creating a linked chain.  ) style embroidery famous from Damascus (aghabani

Aghabānī: (Arabic), a type of embroidered fabric often either silk or cotton. The embroidery technique used to create the embellishment was needlepoint chain_stitch with Damascus and Aleppo as centre for such craftsmanship in the Levant.

). This is followed by a strip of woven chequered fabric in yellow cotton and possibly gold thread appliqued Appliqued: (French: appliquer – Apply), ornamental needlework where small pieces of decorative fabric are sewn on to a larger piece to form a pattern. on the base.  

The next tier comprises a series of scalloped orange and ivory corded ribbons. The space between the two scallops is filled with aghabani

Aghabānī: (Arabic), a type of embroidered fabric often either silk or cotton. The embroidery technique used to create the embellishment was needlepoint chain_stitch with Damascus and Aleppo as centre for such craftsmanship in the Levant.

embroidered metal thread. This is followed by another appliqued Appliqued: (French: appliquer – Apply), ornamental needlework where small pieces of decorative fabric are sewn on to a larger piece to form a pattern. strip of similar gold weave on a yellow cotton base like the previous one, however, instead of chequered it features repeats of two different geometric shapes – diamonds and rectangles.  

Another patch of green cotton fabric flanked by cotton corded ribbons and embellished with embroidered patterns follows. The hem of the neckline is trimmed with a thin (herringbone_stitch

Herringbone_stitch: a decorative stitch that creates a V-shaped pattern, resembling fish bones. It's commonly used in embroidery, sewing, and quilting to join fabrics or for decorative detailing. The stitch is worked diagonally and often gives a clean, attractive finish.

) style embroidered band in metal thread possibly copper on a yellow base.  

Similar trimming is also seen along the shoulders, however, a series of silk floss Floss: (Old French: flosche – nap of velvet), is a type of silk fibre obtained from the cocoons of wild silkworms. It is characterized by its long, fluffy fibers that are not tightly woven, making it ideal for use in various textile applications such as embroidery, lace-making, and sewing. pompoms in various colours – orange, red, shades of blue, and shades yellow – are used as an additional adornment. A floral pattern with a central motif of an oval bordered with scallops adorn each side of the front opening near the bust.  

This is embellished with herringbone_stitch

Herringbone_stitch: a decorative stitch that creates a V-shaped pattern, resembling fish bones. It's commonly used in embroidery, sewing, and quilting to join fabrics or for decorative detailing. The stitch is worked diagonally and often gives a clean, attractive finish.

style as well as aghabani

Aghabānī: (Arabic), a type of embroidered fabric often either silk or cotton. The embroidery technique used to create the embellishment was needlepoint chain_stitch with Damascus and Aleppo as centre for such craftsmanship in the Levant.

embroidery in metal threads of both copper and silver along with three silk floss Floss: (Old French: flosche – nap of velvet), is a type of silk fibre obtained from the cocoons of wild silkworms. It is characterized by its long, fluffy fibers that are not tightly woven, making it ideal for use in various textile applications such as embroidery, lace-making, and sewing. pompoms in blue and green. A couple of loops on one side of the front opening suggest that there were possibly a pair of frog_fastener

Frog_fastener: (Synonym: Chinese frog closure, frog closure), is a decorative and functional type of button used to fasten clothing. Said to have originated between c. 5th to 7th century China these buttons consist of a cord or braid looped through a decorative knot. 

style buttons for fastening the front of the 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.

. 

This 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.

is well padded and quilted with possibly cotton and is lined with a plain ivory cotton fabric akin to canvas. The 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.

is mostly hand-stitched and hand-embroidered with rows of long (running_stitch) vertically parallel to each other in the lining holding the padding in its place. The 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.

also features a side slit on each side near the fall hem.  

While the aghabani

Aghabānī: (Arabic), a type of embroidered fabric often either silk or cotton. The embroidery technique used to create the embellishment was needlepoint chain_stitch with Damascus and Aleppo as centre for such craftsmanship in the Levant.

embroidery style gained renown in the neighborhoods of Damascus, the craftsmanship of this piece is credited to Aleppo. This is unsurprising, given that the city was known for its thriving industry in producing striped silk fabrics such as this. 


Links 

  • Kalter, Johannes. Arts and Crafts of Syria. Thames and Hudson, 1993. 
  • Rubens, Alfred. A History of Jewish Costumes. Peter Owen Limited, 1973. 
  • Scarce, Jennifer. Women’s Costume of the near and Middle East. Unwin Hyman, 1987. 
  • Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian, and W. J. Vogelsang. Covering the Moon: An Introduction to Middle Eastern Face Veils. Peeters, 2008. 
  • Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. Dressed with Distinction: Garments from Ottoman Syria. Fowler Museum at UCLA, 2019. 
  • Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World. Bloomsbury Academic, an Imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016. 
  • Francis, Ellen. “Lebanese Textiles Factory Shuts Its Doors in Dire Economy.” Reuters, 10 Apr. 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-economy-companies-idUSKCN1RM1H5. 
  • Palestinian Heritage Foundation, palestineheritage.org/syrian_costumes/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023. 
  • “Materials Page.” Tala Barbotin Khalidy, www.talabarbotinkhalidy.com/materials-index. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023. 

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