Camisole

Uzbek

city Bukhara

late 19th century

Adras, cotton textile, silk, bekasab

length 129.0; width of back 45.0

РЭМ 59-3/1

Women's outerwear, the "munisak." This garment, common in the Bukhara-Samarkand and Fergana oases, was a type of robe. Unlike a typical robe, it had no collar or gussets, and its sides were gathered under the arms before being joined to the sleeves and waist. This cut gave a woman's figure a particularly slender appearance. Young women sewed "munisak" from expensive, elegant fabrics—velvet, silk, and semi-silk. They especially often used "adras," a type of Central Asian semi-silk fabric ornamented using the technique of reserved dyeing of the warp threads. Collector S.M. Dudin acquired this item, in part to preserve a rare example of "adras." In his report, he writes: "The designs on adras are often very intricate, and in older examples, in addition to their complexity, they are distinguished by their exceptional softness. Unfortunately, my collections contain very few examples of such drasas, as they can only be obtained by purchasing old robes and camisoles that still survive, which is not always possible." In the early 20th century, the "munisak" became an integral part of the mourning dress of women in Bukhara, Samarkand, and the cities of the Fergana Valley.

Costume, women's