robe; textile

A large, sleeveless robe worn by a titled man. It has a round neckline and white reverse appliqué patterning on a black ground. There are rows of machine embroidery at the neck, worked in cotton threads, in red, with some yellow and white, two rows of green and one of blue. Below this decorated neckline is a semi-circular pattern of white reverse appliqué with regularly spaced red circular disks (a machine knitted fabric). This patterning is repeated twice more, in a straight line, across the lower section of the robe. The side openings, which are very deep, also have reverse appliqué, worked on a smaller scale. The pattening on the back of the garment is identical, with the addition of a large red disk in the centre back. [Textile]

The black cotton cloth is printed with four bands of a reptile motif alternating with a 'U' and upside down 'U' shaped motif. The sleeves have two rows of this patterning, running in the opposite direction. The neckline has a deep band of predominantly red and yellow zig zag embroidery with one band of 'X' shaped motifs in the middle, worked in red, green and white. The threads used are synthetic wools (?). The ends of the sleeves and the bottom of the robe, which tapers slightly, is a solid black. Applied red cotton strips are applied to areas separating the patterning from the plain cloth. [Textile]