Brown cloak - Syria

Object Note  

This cloak (abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht, or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function.) is part of a two-piece ensemble which also includes a traditional Syrian headband (ZI2019.500742.1a Syria).

Object History

Purchased from a Kerry Taylor auction in 2019, along with three head scarves (ZI2019.500742.2 SYRIA), (ZI2019.500742.3 SYRIA), (ZI2019.500742.4 SYRIA)

Object Description 

This Syrian cloak abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht, or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function. is made from two pieces of fabric, each the width of a loom, connected horizontally along the middle with a subtle seam (khat_al khaban). The fabric is hand-woven from chocolate brown camel hair and the decorative work is both embroidered and loom weaved with gold threads (gasab Gaṣab: (Arabic: qaṣab: straw). Colloquial in Arabic the letter (qaf) is turned to (ga).). The resulting geometric shapes and straight lines are featured predominantly across the backside of the right shoulder. The decorative pattern is only woven on the top width of the fabric, leaving all of the remaining parts of the garment solid brown. The wide gold lines are surrounded in light blue, silver, and black. From the back to the front, the garment’s neck is embellished (takhreej) with gold embroidery with a jagged border made up of triangular shapes, in the front, there are two tie cords that end in balls (amayel) made of gold thread. 

This rectangular garment is open down the front with small openings for hands. When not worn, the fabric may look like a carpet or swath of upholstery material, but when the body is expertly wrapped in the abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht, or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function. the fabric turns into an extravagant garment, almost resembling a wide Japanese kimono Kimono: (Japanese: ki : wearing, mono: thing, Singular: Kimono) A traditional Japanese long loose robe with wide sleeves tied with a sash around the waist. Presently it is the national dress of Japan. . The subtle gold embellishment and the sheen of the woven threads contribute to creating artistic shading in the folds and drapes of the garment. 

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Syria's long history and geographical location as a hub along the trade routes, led to a prominent international textile industry. Since ancient times, the Syrians have excelled in weaving, using raw materials to sew the best and finest fabrics. The Syrian abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht, or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function.’s wide shape combines the aesthetics of Bedouin design and the skills of urban industry, taking full advantage of the fine raw material it is sewn from. These types of garments were worn by men of high status since the end of the nineteenth century.  

In Syria, the raw material would be locally produced and the men would select their desired colours and request an (aba ‘Abā: (Arabic: outer cloak, Pl. ‘abā’āt, or ‘Ibī, synonyms: ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, daffah, bisht, or mishlaḥ), public long and wide outer cloak without sleeves worn by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function.) or abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht, or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function. from one of the tailors. The equivalent garment for women was a two-piece outfit known as a (mlayah Izār: (Arabic: azar: to support and strengthen, synonyms: wizrah Wizrah: (Arabic: small garment, synonyms: izār, wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India., wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India.), (izar Izār: (Arabic: azar: to support and strengthen, synonyms: wizrah Wizrah: (Arabic: small garment, synonyms: izār, wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India., wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India.), or (sharshaf Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkish: Çarşaf, pl: sharāshef). A loose cloak that a woman wraps her body in when she leaves her house, and it resembles the niqāb and chador Chādor: (Persian: a tent), a long cloak like body cover similar to the (Abayah), traditionally worn by southern Iranian women of Hormozgan. Similar to the Afghan chadri, however these do not have a netted veil covering the face of the wearer..). Similarly, the women would select the raw, locally produced material in the colours she wanted and have it sewn into a garment by a seamstress.