Man’s coat
(Chapan)
(20th century)
Medium
silk (ikat), cotton, cotton (thread)
Measurements
134.5 cm (centre back) 219.5 cm (cuff to cuff)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Vivien Knowles, 2012
Gallery location
Not on display
Artwork Details
Physical description
This large man’s chapan, a traditional Uzbek coat worn over a long cotton shirt and wide-legged trousers, is decorated with a bold checkerboard pattern of blue, purple, yellow and green squares against an undyed cream ground. The slightly blurry appearance of the coloured squares is characteristic of the ikat dyeing technique – a labour intensive process in which patterns are resist-dyed onto warp threads before weaving. The coat is trimmed with twined braid, and lined with bright orange Russian printed cotton decorated with floral motifs.