DepartmentTextiles-Middle East
Coat-dress (Qaftan or Yelek)
NameCoat-dress
Artist
Artist Not Recorded
CultureBedouin
Dateca. 1880
Place madeHistoric Palestine, Middle East, Asia
MediumIndigo dyed linen, cotton, silk embroidery
Credit LineGift of Florence Dibell Bartlett
Object numberA.1955.86.927
Collections
Old #3366 Variant of Qafțān or Yelek ? (ca. 1880) This robe from the Galilee seems to combine features of both the qaftān and the yelek, while at the same time it exhibits features common to neither. It is of handwoven, indigo linen. It has a round collarless neckline and opens to the waist. The long, straight, narrow sleeves are set in with wide gussets. The embroidery on the upper dress extends over the front, back, and shoulders basically in a diamond shape with the center front point slightly rounded. The side points of the diamond reach the elbows. The embroidered areas are backed with blue cotton to give support. The pieces of the skirt that reach the neckline are outlined in the chest and shoulder area by red cording. The skirt front and back are composed of nine pieces. The center back piece was cut on the fold and is the widest. The next in width are the two front pieces. On each side there are three gores of the same width, but narrower than the other pieces. The three front seams are joined by long-legged cross stitching with some slight additional decoration. The other seams are joined by the same type of stitch and have elaborate diamonds made de up of flat and straight stitches and decorated inside with buttonhole stitching in red, blue, and yellow. The same stitches and colors are used to decorate the chest panel and sleeves, forming geometric and floral designs. Length: 132 cm. Width: 96 cm. (Palestinian Costume and Jewelry, Yedida Kalfon Stillman, 1979 ISBN: 0-82630490-7)
late 19th- early 20th century
Artist Not Recorded
