Aba thumbnail 1
Aba thumbnail 2
+2
images
Not on display

Aba

Circa 1870 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man's robe, aba, plain weave silk with tapestry-woven metal thread and silk decoration, moiré.Two lengths of fabric seamed side-by-side so that the seam is horizontal when the garment is worn; the seam is covered with a gold cord. The ground is a blue ribbed silk. In the lower half there are fine gold vertical lines from the hem forming a zigzag. In the upper half gold metal thread forms three downward pointing triangles separated by a red, blue and gold band from which fine gold lines extend down. The central triangle is narrower than the other 2 and the solid diagonal sides break into extended gold 'fingers'. At a certain length these half in thickness, becoming fine lines with thicker 'slubs'; each ends with a 'slub' and together then form a point. The edges of the two wider panels break into thicker and thinner 'fingers', their 'slubs' creating an almost solid band. Some lines extend to form a slightly serrated outline and the central ones continue as solid lines down to the horizontal seam. There is a red, blue and gold band to the outer side of the 3 gold panels, each has a single gold line extending from it. There are several isolated gold lines and another red one toward the side of the garment.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
silk thread, metal thread, weaving, tapestry-weaving, moiré, sewing
Brief description
Textile, Aba or man's robe, blue silk with tapestry-woven gold decoration at the shoulders, Iran (possibly Kashan), Qajar period, 1870-1874
Physical description
Man's robe, aba, plain weave silk with tapestry-woven metal thread and silk decoration, moiré.Two lengths of fabric seamed side-by-side so that the seam is horizontal when the garment is worn; the seam is covered with a gold cord. The ground is a blue ribbed silk. In the lower half there are fine gold vertical lines from the hem forming a zigzag. In the upper half gold metal thread forms three downward pointing triangles separated by a red, blue and gold band from which fine gold lines extend down. The central triangle is narrower than the other 2 and the solid diagonal sides break into extended gold 'fingers'. At a certain length these half in thickness, becoming fine lines with thicker 'slubs'; each ends with a 'slub' and together then form a point. The edges of the two wider panels break into thicker and thinner 'fingers', their 'slubs' creating an almost solid band. Some lines extend to form a slightly serrated outline and the central ones continue as solid lines down to the horizontal seam. There is a red, blue and gold band to the outer side of the 3 gold panels, each has a single gold line extending from it. There are several isolated gold lines and another red one toward the side of the garment.
Dimensions
  • Length: 1405mm
  • Width: 136cm
Gallery label
(2006)
MAN'S CLOAK
1874
The cloak is displayed to show the back. It is made from two lengths of fabric joined to make a horizontal seam around the middle of the garment. The tapestry-woven fabric is very decorative, but to add further visual interest it has been given a watered, or moiré, effect. This was done by pressing the cloth under heavy weights to flatten some of the ribs of the weave, leaving others unaltered so that they reflect the light differently.
Tapestry-woven silk, with gilded metal threads and a watered effect.
Iran, Kashan
Object history
This object was purchased in Tehran in 1874 by Robert Murdoch Smith on behalf of the Museum. Murdoch Smith bought examples of metalwork, textiles and painted wood from a broker (or art dealer), Abdul Hussein Dellal.
Bibliographic references
  • Illustrated in 'Iranian Textiles' by Jennifer Wearden and Patricia L Baker, V&A Publishing, 2010 fig.11 page 29.
  • Miller, Lesley Ellis, and Ana Cabrera Lafuente, with Claire Allen-Johnstone, eds. Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 2021. ISBN 978-0-500-48065-6. This object features in the publication Silk: Fibre, Fabric and Fashion (2021)
Collection
Accession number
1303-1874

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 3, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest