Kaftan
1550-1600 (made)
Middle East, Textiles. Child's kaftan in two parts, brocaded silk with design of staggered gold medallions against blue ground, probably Istanbul or Bursa, Turkey, 1575-1625
Object details
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Brief description | Middle East, Textiles. Child's kaftan in two parts, brocaded silk with design of staggered gold medallions against blue ground, probably Istanbul or Bursa, Turkey, 1575-1625 |
| Gallery label | Jameel Gallery
Princes’ Kaftans from Ottoman Turkey
These three kaftans were worn by Ottoman princes who died when they were children. They were preserved in imperial tombs where, in accordance with Ottoman custom, they were placed over the graves of the deceased.
The kaftans may have come from the graves of the 19 younger sons of Sultan Murat III, who were executed at the succession of their half-brother, Mehmet III, in 1595. This practice, designed to avoid a struggle for the throne, caused public outcry and was never repeated.
The kaftans, woven of silk and metal-wrapped thread, show that even in childhood, Ottoman princes were dressed in the same lavish style as the sultan and his courtiers. The kaftans demonstrate a variety of designs of the time. The kaftan in the centre has a dense pattern of roundels that can also be seen in contemporary velvet (see case opposite).
Museum nos. 752, 761, 771-1884
(21/08/2012) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 752-1884 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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