Woman’s coat (Kaltachak) Uzbekistan (former Khanate of Bukhara) (textile)

Brocaded silk, satin weave, metallic yarns and strips (made in Russia); lining: Ikat-dyed, silk and cotton weave, trimming ribbon, card- or finger-woven, hand-sewn (made in Bukhara) Called kaltachak or kalatcha by Bukharan Jews, this collarless coat gathered below the arms is similar to Persian and Anatolian models. The coat is constructed without shoulder or armhole seams, and is narrow across the back and wide at the hem. A definitely feminine garment, the kaltachak was worn in Bukhara in the second half of the nineteenth century by both Jewish and Muslim women. However, Muslim women wore the kaltachak for various holidays, celebrations, and rituals, while Jewish women reportedly wore it only during mourning.