Object NotePart of an ensemble which includes a blouse and a jacket (
ZI2020.500741 ASIA,
ZI2020.500741a ASIA) and was purchased along seven other pieces not related to the ensemble (
ZI2020.500741c ASIA,
ZI2020.500741d ASIA,
ZI2020.500741e ASIA,
ZI2020.500741f ASIA,
ZI2020.500741g ASIA,
ZI2020.500741h ASIA,
ZI2020.500741i ASIA).
Object HistoryThis yellow embroidered Sindhi woman’s loose pair of trousers was purchased by Dr Reem Tariq El Mutwalli from Kerry Taylor Auctions, London in 2020 to be added to 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 Features This is a traditional Sindhi women’s (
salwar
Salwar: (Farsi: shalvār; Synonym: Ṣarwāl, shalwar, sharwāl, salbāl, sirwāl, khalag), pair of ) trousers (
kancha
Kancha: A pair of wide trousers often traditionally worn by women from the Sindh region of South Asia. It is often characterised by its gathers or pleats at the waist and falls loose only acquiring gathers or is bunched up around the ankles. ) also in mustard yellow silk of (
satin
Sātin: (Arabic: Zaytuni: from Chinese port of Zayton in Quanzhou province where it was exported from and acquired by Arab merchants), one of the three basic types of woven fabric with a glossy top surface and a dull back. Originated in China and was fundamentally woven in silk.) weave. It is wide at the waist with a drawstring fastening and has broad embroidered cuffs.
The embellishment uses 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. threads in a variety of colours – burgundy, yellow, green, and ivory – with small mirrors featuring geometric and floral patterns primarily in (buttonhole) and (
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 possibly done by a machine. The construction of the garment is done by hand stitching.
This was the only traditional style of trousers that women in Sindh wore until the early 19th century when trousers similar to what the men of the region wore (
suthan
Suthan: (Sindhi), a pair of wide trousers traditionally worn only by the men from the Sindh region of South Asia until the early 19th century. It was gradually adopted by the women too and was characterised by its gathers or bunches near the knees as opposed to just the ankles. ) also started being adopted and worn by women. While both styles of trousers were almost similar in all respects, the
kancha
Kancha: A pair of wide trousers often traditionally worn by women from the Sindh region of South Asia. It is often characterised by its gathers or pleats at the waist and falls loose only acquiring gathers or is bunched up around the ankles. was loose all over and
suthan
Suthan: (Sindhi), a pair of wide trousers traditionally worn only by the men from the Sindh region of South Asia until the early 19th century. It was gradually adopted by the women too and was characterised by its gathers or bunches near the knees as opposed to just the ankles. was tight below the knees.
The ensemble was acquired due to the distinguished neckline of the loose embroidered shirt (
gaji
Gaji: (Sindhi), a hip length loose shirt completely covered in embroidered embellishment worn by the women of the Sindh region of South Asia ) which is strikingly similar to the neckline of the traditional women’s (
kandurah
Kandūrah: (Arabic: qandūrah, pl. kanādīr, synonyms: ghandurah
Ghandūrah: (Arabic, pl. qanādīr, synonyms: qandurah, darā’ah, dishdāshah, jalābah, jallābīyah, qaftan, mqta’, thawb or tobe), a loose, short or long-sleeved, shirt like (qamis) tunic with frontal neckline opening, worn by both sexes. Each Arab region has a different term for what is essentially a similar garment with various small differences., qandurah
Qandūrah: (Arabic, pl. qanādīr, synonyms: ghandurah
Ghandūrah: (Arabic, pl. qanādīr, synonyms: qandurah, darā’ah, dishdāshah, jalābah, jallābīyah, qaftan, mqta’, thawb or tobe), a loose, short or long-sleeved, shirt like (qamis) tunic with frontal neckline opening, worn by both sexes. Each Arab region has a different term for what is essentially a similar garment with various small differences., darā’ah, dishdāshah, jalābah, jallābīyah, qaftan, mqta’, 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. ), a loose, short or long-sleeved, shirt like (qamis) tunic with frontal neckline opening, worn by both sexes. Each Arab region has a different term for what is essentially a similar garment with various small differences. , dra’ah, dishdāshah, jallābīyah, jalābah, jillābīyah, qaftan, mqta’, 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. ) loose, short or long sleeved, shirt like (qamis) tunic with frontal neckline opening, worn by both sexes. Each Arab region has a different term for what is essentially a similar garment with various small differences.) from the UAE.
Usually, both
kancha
Kancha: A pair of wide trousers often traditionally worn by women from the Sindh region of South Asia. It is often characterised by its gathers or pleats at the waist and falls loose only acquiring gathers or is bunched up around the ankles. and
suthan
Suthan: (Sindhi), a pair of wide trousers traditionally worn only by the men from the Sindh region of South Asia until the early 19th century. It was gradually adopted by the women too and was characterised by its gathers or bunches near the knees as opposed to just the ankles. were made of
satin
Sātin: (Arabic: Zaytuni: from Chinese port of Zayton in Quanzhou province where it was exported from and acquired by Arab merchants), one of the three basic types of woven fabric with a glossy top surface and a dull back. Originated in China and was fundamentally woven in silk.. Historians believe that prior to the Mughal rule during the medieval period, Sindh’s costumes were possibly influenced by its neighbouring regions that were under the Rashidun Caliphate of Iraq, which is why Sindhi
kancha
Kancha: A pair of wide trousers often traditionally worn by women from the Sindh region of South Asia. It is often characterised by its gathers or pleats at the waist and falls loose only acquiring gathers or is bunched up around the ankles. are similar in style to the trousers traditionally worn by the Kurds.
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