Yulnara Atanaazarova

The flowing open robe, called chapan in Uzbekistan, has reigned supreme in the Central Asian clothing repertoire since nomad hordes first rode their horses to the region from the eastern steppes. By the 1st century CE, the robe had already settled into being a symbol not of action but of sporting leisure. In Uzbekistan the chapan might appear as a belted formal outer robe covering a simple tunic and trousers, as well as just one of many layers of colorful silk robes. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a rich man might have worn ten chapan at once, crowned by a turban as many yards in length.

This chapan is dyed using the ikat technique, a time-consuming and precise tie-dyeing of warp yarns before weaving that results in a blurred pattern resembling clouds (abr). Though ikat has long been integral to local textile production, the 19th century saw an explosion of creativity and sophistication that placed ikat textiles and garments at the center of Uzbekistan’s production and pride.