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Saudi Arabian, Arabian Peninsula

Man's cloak (bisht), 1949

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Saudi Arabian

Title

Man's cloak (bisht)

Year

1949

Medium

Camel hair, metallic yarn; plain weave, embroidered, braid trim

Place

Arabian Peninsula

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Gift of the Estate of Theodore Francis Green

Object Number

69.138C

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Sartorial Sanctuary

December 19, 2008 - April 26, 2009

Worn over the thōb and sarwal, the bisht, a flat, rectangular, heavy cloak of finely woven camel hair (most often in brown or black), provides ample coverage and warmth at night. Its broad canvas requires much time and energy to make; gathering enough camel hair alone can take months. Men typically wear the bisht over the shoulders, putting their hands and arms through small slits when necessary. The gold braid trim, once reserved for religious and political leaders, adds formality to this traditional and functional garment, as does its length, making this particular bisht an item only a wealthy man could afford.

Related

Arabian, Arabian Peninsula

Man's head rope (agal), 1949

Arabian

Kofia, 1949

Arabian

Agal, 1949

More objects +

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Man's cloak (bisht) with the accession number of 69.138C. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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