Minneapolis Institute of Art

Caftan

Morocco

Date

early 20th century

Medium

Metallic thread, silk, cotton, embroidery

Department

Arts of Global Africa

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Moroccan textiles and garments represent layers of aesthetic influences over the centuries, including Islamic, Jewish, Spanish, French, and Turkish. The elaborate gold cording and embroidery on this purple velvet caftan recall the influence of the Ottoman Empire in North Africa. Many specialists were involved in the making of this kind of luxury garment, worn at a formal court appearance or an elaborate social party - a designer for the decorative motifs, a maker of gold thread, an embroiderer, a craftsman for the metal buttons, and a tailor who would assemble the completed garment. Morocco

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