Embroidered Coat

Unknown

19th century · Wool, silk; twill weave, embroidered · Islamic Art

The multicolored embroidery along the sleeves, lapels, and waist of this coat depicts scenes from the poems of Nizami. Fanciful representations of Shirin bathing, Shirin on horseback, Farhad and Shirin, and Majnun in the desert are found between borders of coursing animals. The style of the coat, and its unusual embroidery, are not common in traditional Indian costume; the coat may have been made for the foreign market that embraced textiles from Kashmir in the nineteenth century, when shawls and other goods from the region became so popular.

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th century

Medium

Wool, silk; twill weave, embroidered

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Miss Julia A. Yard, 1922