Striped silk embroidered waistcoat – Türkiye

Object Note
Part of an ensemble with two other pieces also part of the collection (ZI2021.500875.2a ASIA and ZI2021.500875.2b ASIA).
 
Object History 
This piece of garment 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. as a set of ensembles from a dealer in Istanbul in 2021 to add 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 Features 
This is a red and ivory vertical striped silk waistcoat (cepken Cepken: (Tartar: çepken – Outerwear; Synonyms: Shepken, Chekman, Chikmyan and other analogues in various Turkic languages with varied interpretations), short waist-length jacket traditionally worn by both Ottoman men and women throughout the empire. It usually featured full sleeves, elaborate embroidery, and a short stiff collar with front fastenings.  ) with metal – possibly silver – thread (sirma Sirma: (Byzantine Greek: súrma – a dragging motion, from Ancient Greek: súrō – to draw; Synonym: Tel_sirma Tel_sirma: (Ottoman Turkish: tel – wire, thread, chord; Byzantine Greek: súrma – a dragging motion from Ancient Greek: súrō – to draw; Synonym: Sirma), a metal lace or thread traditionally made of silver or gold and sometimes even copper often used textile embellishments such as embroidery and weaves like brocades. ), a metal lace or thread traditionally made of silver or gold and sometimes even copper often used textile embellishments such as embroidery and weaves like brocades. )/(tel_sirma Tel_sirma: (Ottoman Turkish: tel – wire, thread, chord; Byzantine Greek: súrma – a dragging motion from Ancient Greek: súrō – to draw; Synonym: Sirma), a metal lace or thread traditionally made of silver or gold and sometimes even copper often used textile embellishments such as embroidery and weaves like brocades. ) embroidered embellishment.
The field of the jacket is constructed of silk and cotton stripe patterned woven (çitari) fabric.
It has a fully embellished neckline in (couching

Couching: (Latin: collocare – Place together), in needlework and embroidery couching is a technique in which yarn or other materials are laid across the surface of the ground fabric and fastened in place with small stitches of the same or a different yarn

) style embroidery done with thickly twisted corded cotton threads and possibly leather strips in dark brown or possibly black.
The embroidery features a stylised floral arrangement by bending and twisting the thread in different directions and orientations. The branches and vines are created through wavy lines while the flowers and the foliage are created through loops and circles.
The embroidery covers the neckline, the placket, and the cuffs. While the front opening could be fastened by a series of (frog_fasteners) stitched in a row on the underside of the garment, the cuffs could be fastened with a plastic button. The cuffs are gathered near the wrists by a series of pleats that make them taper.
The entire piece is both hand and machine-stitched and is thoroughly lined with a fine ivory cotton fabric. It also features a tiny coin pouch size pocket possibly to hold a watch and fob on the front right panel of the yoke Yoke: (Synonym: Bodice_Yoke), a structured pattern fitted at the shoulders defining the structure of women’s garments. Introduced in c. 1880s it defines the transition between the upper and lower parts of the garments and can now be found stitched-in where the blouse is separated from the skirt by a horizontal seam.  with embroidered trimming.
Although a fairly recent piece dating back to the 1950s, it has been constructed like the traditional garments prevalent during Ottoman rule, especially during the 19th century.
Prior to the widespread acceptance of European clothing in the Ottoman Empire, individuals – men and women – residing in urban areas, regardless of their faith or social standing, typically adorned themselves with three primary articles of clothing.
These included a calf-length cotton undershirt or (gömlek Gömlek: (Proto-Turkic: köyŋelek – Shirt; Azerbaijani: köynək – Shirt; Turkmen: koynek­ – 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. ), featuring long sleeves, which was worn over a pair of loose trousers known as (shalvar shalvār: in Farsi, in the Emirati colloquial: ṣarwāl. In the Levantine colloquial: Shirwāl. Plural: sarāwīl, ṣarāwīl, sharāwīl, ṣarwīlāt). It is loose pants at the waist with folds, and narrow at the ankles. It is tied with a rope at the waist.). Additionally, they would wear a long-sleeved robe called an entari Entāri: (Turkish; Synonym: Antari), a traditional Turkish long jacket-like unisex garment worn during the Ottoman era. It often featured an open front with long sleeves and was worn over an undershirt and a pair of trousers and was sometimes layered by a short waist or hip-length jacket. , reaching the ankles or floor.
Additional layers were added as necessary, based on weather conditions, social occasions, and social status. These layers encompassed items such as waistcoats (cepken Cepken: (Tartar: çepken – Outerwear; Synonyms: Shepken, Chekman, Chikmyan and other analogues in various Turkic languages with varied interpretations), short waist-length jacket traditionally worn by both Ottoman men and women throughout the empire. It usually featured full sleeves, elaborate embroidery, and a short stiff collar with front fastenings.  ), short jackets (yelek Yelek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick Jelick: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Yelek, Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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 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. , Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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. ), 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. ) or (jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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. ), extra entari Entāri: (Turkish; Synonym: Antari), a traditional Turkish long jacket-like unisex garment worn during the Ottoman era. It often featured an open front with long sleeves and was worn over an undershirt and a pair of trousers and was sometimes layered by a short waist or hip-length jacket. , as well as coats of various sizes and lengths.
Belts adorned with elaborate embroidery and ornate buckles, or just embroidered sashes as (cummerbunds) were utilized to accentuate the bust, waist, and hips, creating a defined silhouette.
Although, the entari Entāri: (Turkish; Synonym: Antari), a traditional Turkish long jacket-like unisex garment worn during the Ottoman era. It often featured an open front with long sleeves and was worn over an undershirt and a pair of trousers and was sometimes layered by a short waist or hip-length jacket.  was common throughout the Ottoman Empire, layering with a cepken Cepken: (Tartar: çepken – Outerwear; Synonyms: Shepken, Chekman, Chikmyan and other analogues in various Turkic languages with varied interpretations), short waist-length jacket traditionally worn by both Ottoman men and women throughout the empire. It usually featured full sleeves, elaborate embroidery, and a short stiff collar with front fastenings.   and a yelek Yelek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick Jelick: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Yelek, Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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 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. , Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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. ), 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.  over a gömlek Gömlek: (Proto-Turkic: köyŋelek – Shirt; Azerbaijani: köynək – Shirt; Turkmen: koynek­ – 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.  and a pair of loose shalvār was most common in the Balkan regions, an influence that widely spread through the rest of the Ottoman Empire and was especially popular in c. late 19th and early 20th centuries in the north-western provinces such as the Marmara region in present-day Türkiye, as it had a significant Balkan population.
More Info
The intriguing history of çitari fabric unfolds within the Turkish diaspora during the 18th-century Ottoman era when other various novel fabrics gained prominence. Distinguished by its unique attributes, this fabric features slender, parallel vertical stripes in contrasting colours, reminiscent of the strings of a musical instrument called the çitar.
Composed of tightly woven silk (warp Warp: One of the two basic components used in weaving which transforms thread or yarns to a piece of fabric. The warp is the set of yarns stretched longitudinally in place on a loom before the weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads. is introduced during the weaving process. ) and cotton (weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads.) yarns, the çitari fabric stands apart from other striped textiles due to its specific weaving technique, coloured warp Warp: One of the two basic components used in weaving which transforms thread or yarns to a piece of fabric. The warp is the set of yarns stretched longitudinally in place on a loom before the weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads. is introduced during the weaving process.  patterns, choice of raw materials, and superior craftsmanship.
Notably, regions such as Bursa, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Tunceli, Diyarbakir, Tokat, Antalya, Harput, Yalvaç, Izmir, and Denizli were renowned for their exquisite çitari weaves during this period. Such was the fabric's popularity that it even led to the importation of çitari from India and Damascus.
As such The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative has in its possession pieces that were constructed of similar fabric that were sourced from the Levant region of the Arab world, especially Palestine and Syria. One such piece worth mentioning is a tunic dress from Palestine (ZI1998.500922 PALESTINE).
 
Links

• Cangökçe, Hadiye, et al. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun Son Döneminden Kadın Giysileri = Women’s Costume of the Late Ottoman Era from the Sadberk Hanım Museum Collection. Sadberk Hanım Museum, 2010.  


• Küçükerman, Önder, and Joyce Matthews. The Industrial Heritage of Costume Design in Turkey. GSD Foreign Trade Co. Inc, 1996.  


• AĞAÇ, Saliha, and Serap DENGİN. “The Investigation in Terms of Design Component of Ottoman Women Entari Entāri: (Turkish; Synonym: Antari), a traditional Turkish long jacket-like unisex garment worn during the Ottoman era. It often featured an open front with long sleeves and was worn over an undershirt and a pair of trousers and was sometimes layered by a short waist or hip-length jacket.  in 19th Century and Early 20th Century.” International Journal of Science Culture and Sport (IntJSCS), vol. 3, no. 1, Mar. 2015, pp. 113–125.  https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/91778 


• Parker, Julianne. “OTTOMAN AND EUROPEAN INFLUENCE IN THE NINTEENTH-CENTURY BRIDAL COLLECTION OF THE AZEM PALACE, DAMASCUS, SYRIA.” Journal of Undergraduate Research: Brigham Young University, 18 Sept. 2013. http://jur.byu.edu/?p=6014 


• Koç, Adem. “The Significance and Compatibility of the Traditional Clothing-Finery Culture of Women in Kutahya in Terms of Sustainability.” Milli Folklor , vol. 12, no. 93, Apr. 2012. 184. https://www.millifolklor.com/PdfViewer.aspx?Sayi=93&Sayfa=181 


• Micklewright, Nancy. “Late-Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Wedding Costumes as Indicators of Social Change.” Muqarnas, vol. 6, 1989, pp. 161–74. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1602288. Accessed 13 July 2023. 


• Micklewright, Nancy. “Looking at the Pst: Nineteenth Century Images of Constantinople and Historic Documents.” Expedition, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 24–32.  https://www.penn.museum/documents/publications/expedition/pdfs/32-1/micklewright.pdf 


• ÇATALKAYA GÖK, Ebru. “Çi̇tari̇Fabric.” TURKISH ONLINE JOURNAL OF DESIGN ART AND COMMUNICATION, vol. 11, no. 2, 2021, pp. 443–453, https://doi.org/10.7456/11102100/008. 


• Ozgen, Ozlen, et al. “Henna Ritual Clothing in Anatolia from Past to Present: An Evaluation on Bindalli.” Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings, 2021, https://doi.org/10.32873/unl.dc.tsasp.0122. 


• https://artsandculture.google.com/story/traditional-jewellery-and-dress-from-the-balkans-the-british-museum/ZQXB8B6bvfnaKw?hl=en 


• https://www.issendai.com/16thcenturyistanbul/womens-garb-piece-by-piece/yelek Yelek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick Jelick: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Yelek, Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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 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. , Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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. ), 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. -kurdiye-cuka-kurk-overcoats/ 


• https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/126821 


• https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/200703/the.skill.of.the.two.hands.htm 


• http://www.turkishculture.org/textile-arts/clothing/womens-garments/womens-garments-1065.htm?type=1 


• http://jezebeljane.blogspot.com/2015/09/womens-clothing-in-16th-century-turkey.html 


• https://www.issendai.com/16thcenturyistanbul/visual-dictionary/kaftan/ 


• https://babogenglish.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/turkey-general-information/ 


• https://ertugrulforever.com/turkish-fashion-2021/ 


• https://northamericaten.com/turkish-clothing-of-ottoman-times/ 


• https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2019/04/turkish-traditional-costumes-from-head-to-toe.html 


• https://reconstructinghistory.com/blogs/blog/an-ottoman-turkish-outfit-part-iii-the-yelek Yelek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick Jelick: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Yelek, Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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 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. , Jilek Jilek: (Old Anatolian: yélek – Vest; Synonyms: Jelick, Yelek), a 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. ), 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.