Description
Dazzling ikat velvet robes, the most sumptuous, expensive, and prestigious type of ikat, were worn throughout Central Asia by men and women. This resplendent robe with a V-shaped neckline, fitted torso, and slightly flaring skirt features stylized blossoming plants, pomegranates, and auspicious curved ram’s horns, all with irregular contours of the resist-dye ikat technique. Such female robes were culturally significant in Central Asia. Made for wedding dowries with fabric from the groom’s family, women wore munisaks for rites of passage throughout their lives, as a bride, at family festivals, and funerals.
Provenance
Arlene C. Cooper [1939-2019], New York, NY, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art (?-2009); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (2009-)
Accession Number
2009.267
Medium
Silk: velvet ikat
Dimensions
Overall: 132.1 x 150 cm (52 x 59 1/16 in.)
Classification
Garment
Credit Line
Gift of Arlene C. Cooper