The Armour Archive

Hi, can anyone help identify this coat that I bought from a neighbors garage sale? I have absolutely no idea of its origins. Conservators and curators at the National Gallery of Australia have estimated its age as possibly 18thC but the buttons have them stumped as to its birthplace. They wont accept it as a donation unless it has some significance (because it needs a lot of conservation work). I have a back up plan if they don't want it so keep yer greedy mitts off!
The buttons act as a kind of zipper.
Also if anyone could suggest other forums I could try?
Cheers,
Dave.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemcdave/3522933417/" title="coat - unknown origin by DaveMcDave, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3385/3522933417_68c4811717.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="coat - unknown origin"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemcdave/3522938021/" title="'zipping' buttons by DaveMcDave, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3522938021_b2530e0d76.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="'zipping' buttons"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davemcdave/3523747964/" title="coat detail by DaveMcDave, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/3523747964_8f5538b878.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="coat detail"></a>

Check with Alejandro

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=68693&highlight=lounge

HEH. That thing is currently cradling my bascinet. I'm pondering who it should go to next.

MUMU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave, while the subject is way outside any of my areas of familiarity, the first thought I had on seeing the image was Africa.

I know, not much help.

Dave,

I'm tempted to say Turkish or Persian based on the construction, but I've never seen the button system before either.

Try the NSW Art Gallery, they have an Eastern Art collection and may be able to put you in touch with an expert.

Richard

Hi, Ive changed the title of this post, one of the curators kindly posted the pictures on some kind of international curators board, feedback is pointing towards Turkish or Middle Eastern. Will post more for anyone interested/textiles freaks.
Cheers,
Dave.

I forwarded this to my clothier (Cristbal degli Glicini che Mangia Uome) - who has a massive collectian of vintage clothing from Central Asia, and who is my 'go-to girl' for such things. Ger response (as she headed out the door) was this:

19th century Afghani or eastern Iran.

I'll get some more info from her later this weekend.

Nice one Sasha.

My first thought was late 19th century Algerian, for a number of reasons - shape of garment, French fabric, decoration on the front panel.

Then I found this, which indicates that it is very probably late 19th c. Moroccan:
http://www.museumwnf.org/database_item. ... 01_B;45;en

Edited to add: Museum notes point out that this style was made exclusively in the Moroccan city of Tetouan and worn only by middle-class women.

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

Woah!!! That's spooky, how did you find that lilinah! You some kind of textiles guru?
Thankyou very much for your time, effort and interest. Very appreciated
Cheers,
Dave.

arty dave wrote:Woah!!! That's spooky, how did you find that lilinah! You some kind of textiles guru?
Thank you very much for your time, effort and interest. Very appreciated

Hi, Dave.

Happy to help.

My SCA persona began as Maghrebi (Morocco/Algeria), but there's little surviving from SCA period. However, while doing research, i read a lot of books on 19th c. North African clothing, and some of it stuck to a few brain cells

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

Whoa... i just noticed something...

I knew that clicking on the museum photo would make the picture bigger, but i neglected to use the zoom function on the enlarged photo.

I went back to look and this time i noticed the zoom...

and that red velvet kaftan even has **the same type of "locking" buttons* as yours!

That's so cool!

Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)

Thats why you got so many 's!! I've sent the museum the photos to see if I can become further enlightened...

The interlocking buttons are very cool,
Cheers,
Dave.

Drop a line to Tim Dawson, (levantia at hotmail.com)

He covered a lot of items similar to this one in a recent presentation I was lucky enough to attend.