Kaftan
16th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Kaftans like this one were worn by Ottoman princes who died when they were children. This example is woven of silk and metal-wrapped thread. It shows that even in childhood Ottoman princes were dressed in the same lavish style as the sultan and his courtiers. The wide range of contemporary woven patterns includes a meandering vine set with tulips, which is also found in embroidery of the time.
The kaftans were preserved in imperial tombs. Here, in accordance with Ottoman custom, they were placed over the graves of the deceased. This kaftan may have come from one of the graves of the 19 younger sons of Sultan Murat III. They were executed at the succession of their half-brother, Mehmet III, in 1595. This gory practice, designed to avoid a struggle for the succession, was never repeated.
The kaftans were preserved in imperial tombs. Here, in accordance with Ottoman custom, they were placed over the graves of the deceased. This kaftan may have come from one of the graves of the 19 younger sons of Sultan Murat III. They were executed at the succession of their half-brother, Mehmet III, in 1595. This gory practice, designed to avoid a struggle for the succession, was never repeated.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Silk lampas with some pattern wefts of gilt-metal thread |
| Brief description | Textile, Dress; Child's kaftan, front left panel, silk lampas with metal-wrapped thread, vertical design of parallel meandering tulip stems, Ottoman Istanbul or Bursa, Turkey, 1550-1600. Sewn to 754-1884. Textile, Dress; Child's kaftan, front right panel, silk lampas with metal-wrapped thread, with vertical design of parallel meandering tulip stems, Ottoman Istanbul or Bursa, Turkey, 1550-1600. Sewn to 754A-1884. |
| Physical description | Front of a child's robe (kaftan) of woven silk with a floral meander design. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label |
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| Summary | Kaftans like this one were worn by Ottoman princes who died when they were children. This example is woven of silk and metal-wrapped thread. It shows that even in childhood Ottoman princes were dressed in the same lavish style as the sultan and his courtiers. The wide range of contemporary woven patterns includes a meandering vine set with tulips, which is also found in embroidery of the time. The kaftans were preserved in imperial tombs. Here, in accordance with Ottoman custom, they were placed over the graves of the deceased. This kaftan may have come from one of the graves of the 19 younger sons of Sultan Murat III. They were executed at the succession of their half-brother, Mehmet III, in 1595. This gory practice, designed to avoid a struggle for the succession, was never repeated. |
| Bibliographic reference | Patricia Baker, Jennifer Wearden, Ann French. "Memento Mori. Ottoman Children's Kaftans in the Victoria & Albert Museum", HALI, 51 (June 1990) 130-140 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 754-1884 |
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| Record created | February 9, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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