Kaftan
Not on view
The type of garment referred to as kaftan was known in Persia and the Ottoman Empire before arriving in Morocco, probably in the 16th century. Kaftans are typically worn with fabric belts, and those made of elegant materials such as silk brocade or velvet were reserved for special occasions. The large scale floral designs on the present example are akin to the most sumptuous textiles produced in the Ottoman empire. By the 19th- 20th century, Morocco was importing luxury fabric from Lyons, France, and this garment was likely made for an elite and cosmopolitan member of urban Moroccan society.
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