Technically a combined skirt and attached shawl, this type of silk weaving is called 'meydaniyyeh' in local Aleppo/Gaziantep terminology. The robe is made from two purple hand woven silk panels with saf design and stripes in silver thread. The skirt has a drawstring made from a woven cotton purple and white rope with metallic thread for strength and two cotton ribbons hold the shawl in place over the head. Both the bottom of the skirt and head end of the shawl are lined with 19cm wide blue linen.

The dress was made either as a street dress, as in the photos of Kathi modelling the dress but i have also seen them referred to as used after a hamam Turkish bath. Estimated to be from the 1920-1930s, the silk was woven in Aleppo, Syria near the border with Turkey and Gaziantep and the stitching was done on a hand operated sewing machine.

The dress and shawl and are in exceptional complete condition with just a few marks from use to the lining and around the head part of the shawl. Together they form two double rectangles of strongly woven silk (see photos in 3rd row) 188cm long and 85cm wide.

Fore more photos see: http://www.kilim.ie/TRIBAL_ART_AND_ANTIQUES/Pages/Antique_Ottoman_Aleppo...

Please contact me for more information.