Woman’s Mantle (Chyrpy)

late 1800s–early 1900s

Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Tekke tribe

Medium

Exterior: silk; plain weave; embroidery: chain stitch; Trim: silk; tablet-woven with fringe; Lining: cotton; plain weave, block printed

Measurements

Overall: 119.4 x 75 cm (47 x 29 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of E.B. and Joan C. Long 2010.192

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Location

Not on view

Description

Traditional costumes in central Asia have distinctive characteristics that indicate ethnicity, age, and class. One of the oldest examples is a woman’s coat with false sleeves attached on the back and worn over the head. This silk coat in yellow, the color worn by middle-aged women, is elaborately decorated with popular stylized tulips embroidered in chain stitch. Worn consistently by a newlywed, the coat was later only used on special occasions. Although women made and embroidered garments at home, this expensive luxury mantle was professionally made and sold in the marketplace.