Woman’s Robe (munisak)

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-)

Woman’s Robe (munisak)

[]

1850–75

Accession Number

2009.267

Medium

Silk: velvet ikat

Dimensions

Overall: 132.1 x 150 cm (52 x 59 1/16 in.)

Classification

Garment

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Arlene C. Cooper