Man's coat of padded and printed wool, Central Asia, 1880s

Man's coat of padded wool. Wide, cut traditionally and made from Russian printed wool quilted in vertical lines onto cotton lining with cotton padding. The fabric has red and pink blossoms with green and blue on a cream ground. Two pockets.

Given by Catherine Olvers

Registered File number 1992/192.
Similar, though not as well drawn, as fabric printed in factories in Pavlovsky Posad, Bogorodsk district, Moscow Province in the 1880s and 1890s. Some of their production was for the peasant market and most probably was exported as far as Central Asia.

The donor's family were Lazarus & Co of Calcutta who mace furniture from about 1870 to the end of the century. It seems probable that this coat was acquired by the brother of the donor's Grandmother - either from another merchant or during his travels. Because of strictly enforced sumptuary laws, the better known silk ikat and ikat velvet coats could only be worn by members of the local nobility and their entourage. The use of Russian printed wool for this coat would suggest the wearer was wealthy, even though forbidden to wear ikat. It has two pockets, which are not a traditional feature and suggest that the wearer (the Lazarus family were English Jews) had the coat made specially for him and requested the inclusion of pockets.

T.11-1992