ARAB DRESS

THEMES IN ISLAMIC STUDIES

A (new) Brill Series including short histories and concise surveys of appealing themes in the field of Islamic and Arabic Studies The various titles give an accessible overview of a specific aspect or topic. Scholars and graduate students find in this series easy reference tools to current subjects in Islamic history and culture. Several titles are edited compilations of articles from the Encyclopaedia of Islam (second edition).

VOLUME 2

ARAB DRESS
A SHORT HISTORY

From the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times

BY

YEDIDA KALFON STILLMAN

AND EDITED BY

NORMAN A. STILLMAN
REVISED SECOND EDITION

BRILL
LEIDEN BOSTON 2003

This book is printed on acid-free paper. First edition 2000 Revised Second Edition 2003 Cover photograph: Souk el-Grana in the Hara. Tunis early 20th century (Photo: Courtesy Bernard Allali, Paris). Cover design: TopicA (Antoinette Hanekuyk) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stillman, Yedida Kalfon, 1946-1998. Arab dress : from the dawn of Islam to modern times / by Yedida Kalfon Stillman ; and edited by Norman A. Stillman. p. cm. (Themes in Islamic studies, ISSN 1389-823X ; v. 2) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 9004113738 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. ArabsCostumeHistory 2. CostumeArab countriesHistory. I. Stillman, A., 1945- II. Title. III. Series. GT1380 .S75 2000 391'.089'927dc21 00-027454 CIP Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Stillman, Yedida K.: Arab dress : from the dawn of Islam to modern times / by Yedida Kalfon Stillman. And ed. by Norman A. Stillman. - Leiden ; Boston ; Kln : Brill, 2000
(Themes in Islamic studies : Vol 2) ISBN 90-04-11373-8

ISSN 1389-823X ISBN 90 04 13593 6 Copyright 2003 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change.
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS

to Hillel Fradkin

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editors preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv List of Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxi A note on style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxxiii Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. Pre-Islamic Arabia and the Early Umma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arab Clothing Before the Rise of Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Time of the Prophet and Early Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . Early Islamic Laws and Customs Regarding Clothing . . . 2. The Evolution of the Islamic Vestimentary System under the Great Caliphates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Trend toward Luxury under the Umayyads . . . . . . . Early Attempts at Differentiating Muslim and NonMuslim Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Beginnings of the Institutions of Khil #a and irz . . . The Emergence and Consolidation of an Islamic Fashion under the #Abbasids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dress Protocol at the #Abbasid Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Economics of Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Clothing of Commoners and Various Social Groups Imposition of Dress Regulations for Non-Muslims . . . . . . The Apogee of Medieval Haute Couture under the Fatimids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Geniza: A Unique Source for Islamic Attire in the Fatimid Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. The Arab East under the Turkish Dynasties of the Later Middle Ages and Early Modern Times: Saljuqs, Ayyubids, Mamluks, and Ottomans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Clothing of the Military lite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Clothing of Other Strata of Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 7 9 22 29 31 39 40 41 48 49 50 52 53 55

62 62 71

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contents 75 83 84 86 86 89 90 93 99 101 101 107 110 113

4.

5.

6.

7.

Female Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Trends in Non-Muslim Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Ottoman Period (To Early Modern Times) . . . . . . . The Muslim West: North Africa and Medieval Spain . . . Pre-Islamic Foundations of Maghrebi Costume . . . . . . . . Maghrebi Costume During the Early and High Middle Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medieval Andalusian Attire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Berber Empires and Their Successor States . . . . . . . From the End of the Middle Ages to Modern Times . . . The Laws of Differentiation and the Clothing of Non-Muslims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Origin and Evolution of the Pact of #Umar and Ghiyr in the Early Islamic Centuries . . . . . . . . . . . The Trend Toward Stricter Enforcement and Regularization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Apogee of Ghiyr Regulations and Enforcement Under The Mamluks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Regional Variation in Late Medieval North Africa . . . . Ghiyr in Early Modern Times: The Lingering Authority of Custom and the Impact of Increasing European Penetration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Opulent World of irz and Precious Textiles . . . . The Term irz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Origins of the irz Institution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Early Development of the irz Institution under the Umayyads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Full Scale Development of the irz Institution under the #Abbasids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The irz Institution under the Fatimids . . . . . . . . . . . irz and Robes of Honor under Ayyubids and Mamluks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Veiling in the Islamic Vestimentary System . . . . . . . . . . . Veiling in Early Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Veiling Under the Great Caliphates and the Successor Military Dynasties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evidence for How Medieval Veils Actually Looked . . . .

116 120 120 122 124 125 128 133 138 139 142 146

contents Modern Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modernization, the Early Arab Womens Movement, and Unveiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Modern Resurgence of Veiling: \ijb Old and New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. Modern Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. The Study of Arab Clothing: A Bibliographical Epilogue The Early Pioneer Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Jhil Period and Early Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Great Caliphates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Turkish Military Dynasties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Late Medieval Islamic Spain and North Africa . . . . . . . The Ottoman Period in the Arab World . . . . . . . . . . . . . Twentieth-Century Ethnographic Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . The Jews of the Arabic World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Religious and Ethnic Minorities of the Arab World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jewelry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Abbreviations of Journals and Encyclopedias . . . . . . . . . . . . Archival and Manuscripts Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Addenda & Corrigenda I Addendum to Bibliography Addenda & Corrigenda II Plates 1-70 Figures 1-11

ix 150 153 157 161 175 175 177 178 180 182 182 183 186 189 190 192 193 196 215

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EDITORS PREFACE

About the Author Yedida Kalfon Stillman died peacefully at home surrounded by her family at the age of fifty-one on February 22, 1998 after a valiant tenmonth struggle against a rare form of gastric cancer. At the time of her death, she was professor of history, Near Eastern languages, and womens studies at the University of Oklahoma. She was the worlds acknowledged expert on the history of the clothing of the Arab world, both Muslim and Jewish, from medieval to modern times. Born in the mellah of Fez, Morocco, she went to Israel at the age of five, living with her large family for two years in a squalid tent camp. But what she recalled most from that time were the flowers that her father and her sister would draw on their tent and plant outside in front of it, both to beautify their world and to help guide her home when she got lost among the thousands of identical tents in the sprawling camp. But it was not the extremes of heat and cold nor the dust in summer and mud in winter in that tent city that shaped her. Rather it was the flowers that her father planted in the dust and mud. She never looked back on that time as one of poverty and deprivation, but rather she recalled her familys strength, creativity and goodness. And she maintained that positive outlook throughout her life to the very end. She grew up in the overcrowded prefabricated housing of the Katamonim section of Jerusalem, a neighborhood that was overwhelmingly populated by Jews from Arab countries. The years of her childhood and adolescence were a time in which there was a great deal of social prejudice against Oriental Jews in general and Moroccans in particular. But again, even though she experienced the sting of prejudice many times, it never embittered her, and she was always grateful for having grown up in a free country and for having received an excellent education at the Alliance Isralite Universelle schools and the Hebrew University. It was already in her high school years that she became interested

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in the folklore and material culture of North Africa and the Middle East. And when she entered the Hebrew University, she did her undergraduate studies in the Department of Folklore and became an assistant to her first mentor Dov Noy, with whom she remained a close friend all her life. During her undergraduate years, she did extensive field work for the Israel Folklore Society which she could conduct in Maghrebi and Levantine Colloquial Arabic, Hebrew and French. She also worked in the Israel Folklore Archives, and she was acknowledged in several of Dov Noys books. At this time too, she gained invaluable experience in the study of material culture working in the Ethnography Department of the Israel Museum. It was there that she and I met in the summer of 1966. She walked into the room with two books that I later would come to know well, Eudels Dictionaire des bijoux de lAfrique du Nord: Maroc, Algrie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine and Besancenots Bijoux arabes et berbres du Maroc. It was love at first sight, and we married exactly one year later. Even though she was still a semester short of finishing her B.A., she was admitted to the graduate school of the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her M.A. in folklore and folklife in 1968 and completed her doctorate in Oriental studies in 1972 with the great S. D. Goitein (the only woman ever to do a Ph.D. with him) on female attire in medieval Egypt, based on the the trousseau lists from the Cairo Geniza and Arabic manuscripts and artistic sources in the museums of Europe, Egypt, and Israel. She was for a year also a guest student at the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University where she studied Islamic art with Richard Ettinghausen, her coadviser on the dissertation. Even before obtaining her first academic position at the State University of New York at Binghamton, she was engaged by the Museum of International Folk Art and International Folk Art Foundation of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to prepare a major study on its collection of Palestinian costume and jewelry and was sent to Jordan and Israel to purchase items that would fill in the interstices in the museums already extensive collection. Her work resulted in a major exhibition and her first book, which was subvented by the National Endowment for the Arts. In subsequent years, she held guest curatorial and consulting positions at the Smithsonian Institution, the Sewall Gallery in Houston, the Eastman Gallery in Rochester, the Jew-

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ish Museum in New York, the Joods Historisch Museum in Amsterdam, the Jewish Museum of Greece, the Museum of the Diaspora in Tel Aviv, and many others. She served on the boards of several international organizations and learned societies including the International Society for JudeoArabic Studies and the Centre de Recherche sur les Juifs du Maroc. Over the years she was highly successful at obtaining grants for her research from such agencies and foundations as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Littauer Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, the American Research Center in Egypt, the Institute of Turkish Studies, the Ben-Zvi Institute, and the Bradley Foundation, which for the last eight years of her life was the principal ongoing supporter of her work on Middle Eastern and North African costume history. In 1994-1995, she was senior Fulbright Research Scholar at Muhammad V University in Rabat. In addition to five published books (two in collaboration with her husband), she was the author of numerous scholarly articles, encyclopedia entries (including the monographic Libs in the new edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islm), journalistic articles and reviews in several languages. Two major books were in progress at the time of her deaththis short history of Arab dress and an encyclopedic dictionary of Arab clothing. Her contribution as a teacher was no less important than her scholarship. In her twenty-three years at Binghamton, she took a Hebrew language program that had scarcely a score of students and developed it into one with well over a hundred. In 1978, she was honored with the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence in Teaching. Many of her students, who always knew her simply as Yedida, became lifelong friends.1 She had similar success with her teaching at the University of Oklahoma, doubling the size of her classes for each of two consecutive years. Even during her illness, she continued to teach her classes whenever she could. In addition to teaching, mentoring younger researchers was a sacred task for her. On the day before she died, despite her weakness, she insisted on helping a young doctoral candidate in Canada who had turned to her for help in
1 For a moving personal tribute by one of her former students, see Middle East Studies Association Bulletin 33:1 (1999), pp. 150-151.

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editors preface

identifying a puzzling marriage belt of unknown provenience. She did in fact identify the unusual item from the detailed photographs that she had been sent and in a whisper dictated her reply to me for the young scholar. In accordance with her wishes, she was buried in the Judean Hills outside Jerusalem. In the year and a half since her death, memorial symposia, colloquia, and panels have been held in her honor in the United States, France, Morocco, and Israel.

The Editors Task The manuscript for this book was more than three quarters finished at the time of Yedidas death. Most of the chapters were fairly complete. One chapter (Seven) was only half finished, but with an extensive outline for the part that remained to be done. As with any work done over several years, there were marginal notes with references and quotations to be added or to be checked, manuscript illuminations to be reexamined, and various illustrations to be considered for inclusion. Although costume history is not one of my areas of specialization, I was always intimately familiar with Yedidas work, as she was with mine. There was no individual project that was not thoroughly discussed, commented upon, and critiqued by one of us for the other. And in fact, we had done some collaborative work in this field together. Obviously, preparing this book for publication has been a bittersweet task. On the one hand, it has given me the feeling that I am still working with Yedida in closest partnership as we had worked together through thirty years of blissful marriage and professional collaboration. While on the other hand, it is one more constant reminder of her absence and the void that it has created in my life and the lives of all who loved and cherished her.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Since authors frequently leave the front matter of a book, including the acknowledgments, to the very end, there was no draft to be found with the manuscript of this book after Yedidas death. And although I believe I know many of the people and institutions that she would have wished to thank, I cannot be certain that I know all of them. Her correspondence was voluminous, and even going through her many files of letters, I am sure that I have not seen everything. If, therefore, there are any omissions here, it is I who am totally, albeit unintentionally, at fault. Yedida was always extremely punctilious in thanking those who had been of assistance, even in the smallest way, to her in her work. Without any doubt, the profoundest thanks go first and foremost to the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which for the past decade has been unfailingly generous in its support of Yedidas work on the historical study of Arab attire. The Bradley Foundation was not only kind enough to allow me, as Yedidas colleague and literary heir, to make use of what remained of the considerable funds that it had already allocated for this book and for the much larger historical dictionary of Arab clothing, which I also intend to bring to publication for her, but it generously provided me with additional funding as a further extension of the grant. Other research grants that helped fund Yedidas study of textiles and costumes were provided by: the Fulbright Foundation in Washington, D. C., the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation in New York, the American Research Center in Egypt, the American Institute for Turkish Studies, the American Philosophical Society, the Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem, and the Jerusalem Center for Anthropology. Our deepest gratitude also goes to the publisher Koninklijke Brill of Leiden. It was Brill that first proposed that Yedida write a work to replace Reinhart Dozys classic, but thoroughly outdated Dictionnaire dtaill des noms de vtements chez les Arabes (1835). Over the years, we have had the closest relation with Brill on this and other projects and became friends with a number of its editors. The continuous encour-

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acknowledgments

agement and support that we both received on this and other projects has been deeply gratifying. One could not ask for a better working relationship with a publisher, and it has truly been a privilege working with all of the Brill staff. Research on the history of Arab and Islamic attire required work in many libraries and museums, and institutes for the study of textiles and costumes around the world. Thanks go to the personnel at the British Museum in London, the Bibliothque Nationale and the Muse de lHomme in Paris and its Curator for the Middle Eastern and North African Section Dr. Dominique Champault, the staff of the Oriental Manuscripts Section of the University of Leiden, the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, the Abegg Stiftung in Zurich and its director Dr. Karel Otavsky, the Muse de la Ville de Genve in Geneva, the Vatican Library in Rome, the Museums of Coptic and Islamic Art in Cairo, the Ethnography Department and Library staff at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, particularly to her friends and colleagues there Chaya Benjamin and Carmela Teichman, and the L. A. Mayer Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, the Jhil and Early Islamic Arab Poetry Concordance Project of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem, and especially to Dr. Avraham David of the Hebrew Manuscript Section, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and its now emerita director Dr. Yvonne Lange, the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, lUniversit Mohamed V in Rabat where she was very much adopted by our good friend and colleague Professor Majid Zeggaf, the Qasbat alWidya Muse des Costumes Populaires du Maroc in Rabat, le Muse des Arts Populaires in Tetouan, the Topkapu Museum in Istanbul, the Jewish Museum of Greece and its then director Dr. Nikos Stavroulakis, the Joods Historisch Museum of Amsterdam and its entire staff, in particular Judith Belinfante, Julie-Marthe Cohen, Hetty Berg, Steven Hartog, and Daniel Bouw. The Interlibrary Loan staffs of Binghamton University and the University of Oklahoma cheerfully processed hundredsperhaps over a thousand or morerequests for books and articles needed for this project which were not easily available to us. I could not pretend to know all of the many individuals who had

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given assistance and advice to Yedida over the years that she worked on this project. However, among those who were of particular help in recent years, particular thanks must go to Professor Paula Sanders of Rice University, a dear friend and colleague, who collaborated with Yedida on the article irz for the Encyclopdia of Islm, and who kindly put at my disposal her own extensive notes on references on garments and textiles in Arabic and particularly Fatimid sources. Words fail to express the gratitude that I personally feel for her acts of kindness during Yedidas illness. Naomis blessing to her two daughters-in-law in Ruth I:8 comes closest to expressing it. Over many years Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina of the Islamic Department of the Metropolitan Museum in New York had often provided Yedida materials related to her project and was kind enough to give me advice when needed. Dr. Louise Mackey has also over many years been a source of valuable information and advice when she was first at the Textile Museum in Washington, D. C., and later at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Dr. Nancy Micklewright of the University of British Columbia, who collaborated with Yedida on an important mise au point of Islamic costume research, had over the years been Yedidas expert consultant on Ottoman Turkish clothing. Dr. Patricia Baker of London has also been a colleague with whom Yedida consulted on matters of costume history. Dr. Elisabethea Duda of the sterreichischen Nationalbibliothek in Vienna gave her assistance and counsel. Professor Albert Arazi of the Hebrew University also provided assistance at one stage. I know that Professor Michael Cook of Princeton University kindly sent Yedida several references to material that she was seeking. Professor Hans Jansen of the University of Leiden also provided some important photographs of medieval Egyptian garments, as did Dr. Georgette Cournu of Lyon. Over the course of many years, Professor Bernard Lewis of the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University emeritus professor encouraged Yedida in her work. He was, I believe, along with me one of the first people to strongly urge her to write a history of Arab attire after the appearance of her monographic article Libs in the new edition of the Encyclopdia of Islm. Yedida had many research assistants over the years of work on this project who held the title of Bradley fellows, many of whose names

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acknowledgments

I cannot recall or easily find. One, however, that I know she definitely would have mentioned, because he certainly was academically the best trained and the most helpful was Josef Meri, who recently received his doctorate in Islamic Studies at Oxford. Several people deserve my personal thanks for their assistance to me in the year and a half following Yedidas death that I had been working on completing the manuscript. These include M. Michel Garel of the Oriental Manuscript Section of the Bibliothque Nationale. He went out of his way to give me every personal assistance and to show the greatest personal kindness when I explained to him the nature of my work checking manuscript illuminations that Yedida wanted rechecked. I owe a deep dept of gratitude to Yedidas and my secretary, Ms. Jan Rauh, who in the last two months leading up to finally sending off the manuscript to the publisher, worked long hours polishing the format and layout, proofreading, even drawing the sketches for the figures used in this book. My own research assistant John Borrego worked long and hard to put the bibliography together from the references in the footnotes. He also helped look up incomplete publication data, find inconsistencies in the use of abbreviations and citation form. He too provided another pair of eyes for proofreading the text. Forrest Bacigalupi shot one of the photographs needed for the plates on short notice at the last minute. Our son Enan also pitched in and made up the list of illuminated manuscripts and Geniza documents by extrapolating them out of the many footnotes. No words of acknowledgment can adequately express Yedidas and my profound gratitude and love for the tenderness, love, and support that he and our daughter Mia provided us throughout her illness. In spite of our attempts to urge them to remain in school and finish their degrees, both insisted on withdrawing from their studies for a year to be by our side. They, of course, were right, not we. Neither of us could have done without them. N. A. S. August 1999

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LIST OF PLATES

1. Pilgrims wearing the irm garments consisting of an izr around the waist and a rid" draped over the upper part of the chest. (National Geographic Magazine) 2. Majnn at Layls tomb wearing only tubbn. From a 15th-century copy of Amr Khusraw Divlavs Khamseh (Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C.) 3. Caliphal statue from Khirbet al-Mafjar wearing Sasanian-style qab" with pearl border. From: J. Sourdel-Thomine and B. Spuler, Die Kunst des Islam (Propylen Verlag: Berlin, 1973). 4. Hanging caliphal qalansuwa (Khirbet al-Mafjar). From: Richard Ettinghausen, From Byzantium to Sasanian Iran and the Islamic World (E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1972). 5. Mamd of Ghazna donning a Khil #a sent by the Caliph al-Qhir in 1000 A. D. as depicted in a manuscript of Rashd al-Dns Jmi# al-Tavrkh (Edinburgh University Library). 6. Q seated on raised chair atop the minbar with a black aylasn draped over his turban and shoulders as depicted in a 13th-century manuscript of the Maqmt of al-\arr (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 6094, folio 93). 7. Seated q with a long white ara drawn over his turban and shoulders in a 14th-century Egyptian manuscript of the Maqmt (Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, A. F. 9, fol. 30 verso). 8. Figure depicted on a Fatimid lustre ware bowl wearing a giant ellipsoid turban (perhaps the caliphal tj al-sharf). From Marilyn Jenkins, Western Islamic Influences on Ftimid Egyptian Iconography, Kunst des Orients 10:1-2 (1975).

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9. Tuareg wearing a turban in the muannak style. Courtesy of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism. 10. A Geniza trousseau list detailing jewelry, clothing, bedding, and household utensils (TS J 1, 29). 11. Woman (left) wearing a broadly striped robe and matching shawl from a unique 13th-century Maghrebi (either Spain or Ceuta) manuscript of the romance \adth Bay wa-Riy (Biblioteca Apostolica, Vatican, ms Arabo 368, fol. 13). 12. Two medical students depicted in a 13th-century manuscript of Dioscurides De Materia Medica, from Northern Iraq or Syria. The one on the right is wearing a finely striped thawb (perhaps the pattern known as jr al-qalam, or the flow of the pen) with a patterned golden irz band on the upper sleeve (Topkapu Sarayi Mzesi, ms Ahmet III, 2127, fol. 2). 13. Seated drinking figure wearing a robe with ornamental spots (probably the so-called mu#ayyan, with eyes, pattern) on a Fatimid ceramic (Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, no. 15501). 14. Seated figure of Ab Zayd wearing a paneled tunic from an early 14th-century Maqmt manuscript, probably from Syria (BM Add. 22.114, fol. 98). 15. A paneled fragment of a medieval textile (Abegg Stiftung, Riggisberg, inv. no. 2644). 16. Fatimid Egyptian textile fragment of silk and linen with sharanj checkered pattern with stylized birds from the second half of the 11th century (Muse dart et dhistoire, Geneva, Collection Bouvier, JFB M 150. Nathalie Sabato, photographer). 17. Mamluk polo players wearing aqbiya turkiyya cinched at the waist by a band as depicted on an enamelled glass caraffe from Syria, ca. 1260-1270 (Staatliche Museen fr Islamische Kunst, Berlin, Katalog 1971).

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18. Buckle, roundels, and upright plaques of a iya of the Mamluk sultan al-Malik al-li Ism#l (ruled 1342-1345/743-746), belonging to the David Salomons Charitable Trust. From: L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume (Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952). 19. Frontispiece of a mid-13th-century manuscript, probably from Mosul of the Kitb al-Diryq of Pseudo-Galen showing an informal court scene in the center with a seated Turkish ruler (on left) wearing a fur-trimmed, patterned qab" maft with elbow-length irz sleeves and on his head a sharbsh. Most of his attendants wear aqbiya turkiyya and kalawta caps. Workman depicted behind the palace and riders in the lower register wear the brimmed hat with conical crown known as sarqj. On the sarqj of one workman is a crisscrossed colored takhffa with a brooch or plaquette pinned in the center of the overlap. The women on camels in the lower righthand corner wear a sac-like head veil kept in place by a cloth #iba (Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, ms A. F. 10, fol. 1). 20. Inlaid metal basin (so-called Baptisre de St. Louis) depicting Mamluk soldiers several of whom have blazons on their boots (Louvre, Paris). 21. Illumination from the Maqmt painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237 depicting the pilgrims caravan. The two walking figures are both wearing rnt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, fol. 94 verso). 22. Frontispiece of a court scene from a Maqmt manuscript, probably from Egypt, dated 1334. The enthroned prince wears a brocaded qab" maft with inscribed irz armbands over a qab" turk which is cinched at the waist with a iya of gold roundels (bawkir). The two musicians at the lower right both wear turkic coats and plumed caps, one of which has an upwardly turned brim. The plumes are set in a front metal plaque (#amd) (Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, ms A. F. 9, fol. 1). 23. Frontispiece of Kitb al-Aghn from Iraq, ca. 1218/19 depicting the enthroned atabeg Badr al-Dn Lu"lu" #Abd Allh wearing a gold

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brocaded (zarkash), lined qab" turk with gold irz armbands on which his name is clearly inscribed. His boots are of red leather with gold, probably stamped, vegetal decoration. On his head is a fur-trimmed sharbsh. Most of his attendants wear Turkish coats, boots, and a variety of kalawtt (Millet Ktphanesi, Istanbul, Feyzullah Efendi ms 1566, folio 1b). 24. Classroom scene from Maqmt manuscript dated 1222, probably from Syria. Some of the schoolboys are wearing Turkish military kalawta caps, a medieval parallel to the military caps worn by students in 19th- and early 20th-century Central and Eastern Europe (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 6094, fol. 167). 25a-b. Two illuminations from a 13th-century Maqmt manuscript. The first shows Ab Zayd in an unusual short-sleeved jacket; the second a youth in a long-sleeved one (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, folios 104 and 68 verso). 26. Ab Zayd in short robe with unusual mid-calf length straight sirwl of some soft fabric with irregular hems, and on his feet pointed soft leather shoes rolled down just above the ankles. On his head is a qalansuwa awla cut to curve around the side of the face and extending down the back of the neck. Perhaps this outfit reflects the garb of the futuwwa or the #ayyrn (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, folio 69). 27. A pair of striped Mamluk sirwl (Muse de Cinquantenaire. From: L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume, Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952). 28. Scene from a manuscript dated 1199, probably from Northern Iraq, of the Kitb al-Diryq of Pseudo-Galen showing Andromachus the Physician watching agricultural labors. Three of the workers wear only knee-britches (tubbn). The unveiled woman sitting in the lower lefthand corner with a sieve in her hand wears only sirwl, a sheer qam with elbow-length sleeves, and tight-fitting cap on her head (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 2964, old page 22. 29. Elegant woman depicted in a 13th-century Maqmt manuscript.

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She is wearing a wide-sleeved brocade, knee-length robe with clearly inscribed irz armbands. On her head is a polka dot headscarf which falls down the back to her waist and is held in place with an #iba m"ila and a pearl chin chain (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3939, fol. 151). 30. Miniature from an early 13th-century Kalla wa-Dimna manuscript, probably from Baghdad, showing a woman in a narrow-sleeved, full-length, close-fitting brocade robe wearing a wimple-like mandl, held in place with a metal sar band, addressing the king, who is wearing a qab" turk with uninscribed irz armbands, and chiseled gold tj (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3465, fol. 131 verso). 31. Fatimid metal figurine of a woman playing a tamborine or flat drum with a jewel-studded kfiyya on her head (Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, no. 6983). 32. Illumination from Maqmt manuscript painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237 depicting a preacher addressing the congregation in a mosque. The women seated in the upper gallery are wrapped in plain or brocaded silk mantles (ardiya), some of which have decorative borders. They are wearing a variety of veils, including the qin# (or miqna#a), the niqb, and the sha#riyya. One woman (third from left) is wearing a pair black mesh gloves (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, folio 58 verso). 33. Womans yelek of indigo blue linen with multicolored silk embroidery from Aleppo, ca. 1850. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No. 3361) 34a-c. Three photos of men and women from the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The first depicts three individuals from Aleppo (from left to right): a Jewish woman in a striped silk antr over a lightcolored khirqa, and on her head the wig of married women, covered by a wuqya-hat; a man in fine bedouin attire consisting of a white thawb cinched with a izm, over which is a dark bansh-coat, and as a headdress, a patterned kfiyya or aa held in place with a large brm or #aql; a bedouin woman wearing a dark thawb with a izm and on

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her head and shoulders to form a wimple a large dark shutfa held in place with a dark #iba-headband. The second photograph shows a Jewish couple in Jerusalem. The woman is wearing a dark green fustan-dress over which is a white cashmere sala-jacket, and on her head is a turban consisting of a bonnet (called fotoz by Jews, khotoz by Turks) around which printed so-called yaman kerchiefs are wound with a chain of pearls hanging above the bridge of the nose and going around each cheek to create a minimalist burqu# and over the entire headress a large white muslin head shawl pinned beneath the chin and covering most of the upper torso. The man wears a white cashmere jubba over a striped antr which is cinched with a large scarf. Around his neck is a cashmere shl with a palmette border carefully draped to crisscross over his chest, and on his head a turban consisting of a kavese-hat with a wrapping cloth of white muslin with wavy stripes. The third picture shows a Tripolitanian merchant in a white farajiyya (or durr#a) cinched with a white izm above which is a narrow belt for his decorative dagger, and on his head a shadda-turban. (From: Hamdy Bey and M. de Launay, Les costumes populaires de la Turquie en 1873, Constantinople, 1873, Pls. XXV, XXXVI, and XLII). 35. 19th-century engraving of Egyptian man of the bourgeoisie in striped jubba cinched with a izm, over which is a dark bansh, and with an #imma consisting of a skullcap and winding cloth. From: E. W. Lane, The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (A. Gardiner: London, 1898), p. 47. 36. High Atlas akhnf, a black woolen hooded cape with distinctive embroidery that includes a large orange-red eye at the lower back. It belongs to the general type of North African mantle called burns. From: G. Rousseau, Le costume au Maroc, Paris, 1938, Pl. 3. 37. Various styles of draping a mans kis" or "ik in early twentieth century Morocco. From: E. Doutt, Merrkech, Paris, 1905. 38. Detail from the carved ivory Andalusian pyxis of al-Mughra, dated 968, with a genre scene depicting bareheaded figures. From: J.D. Dodds (ed.), Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain, New York, 1992.

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39. Illumination from the 13th-century manuscript \adth Bay waRiy, from Islamic Spain or Ceuta, the hero Bay is playing the #d in the garden of the wealthy mistress of the house and her handmaidens, all of whom are unveiled and bareheaded except for the lady who wears a large golden tj. He wears a large ovoid turban with a gold irz factory patch on the front (Biblioteca Apostolica, Vatican, ms arabo 368, fol. 10). 40. The lover Bay wearing a smaller, round irz turban with a pointed cap barely protruding through the winding cloth receives letter sent by his beloved. The messenger veils the lower part of her face holding her milafa there with her right hand (Biblioteca Apostolica, Vatican, ms arabo 368, fol. 17). 41. Moroccan Jewish women in festive attire, sometime in the 1930s. One wears a large crown (tj ), the other two wearing diadems (tuwayj). All these confections are of chiseled gold set with gemstones. On the ground in front of them are their gold embroidered riiyyt-slippers (Collection of family photographs of Y. K. Stillman). 42. Detailed sketches of Moroccan urban womens gold tiara and diadems set with gemstones (Jean Besancenot, Bijoux arabes et berbres du Maroc, Casablanca, 1953, Pl. X). 43. Tuareg nobleman wearing the tagilmust, the traditional turban with face veil similar to the lithm of the Almoravids. (Photograph by Victor Englebert in Nomads of the World, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C., 1971, p. 113.) 44. Manuscript illumination in the Escorial of the Libro de Ajedrez made for Alfonso X in Seville in 1283. It shows Mudejars explaining chess moves to the Christian ruler. All, including the king wear turbans, except for the guard. The two seated players wear the tank, while the standing Mudejas wear a turban wound around a qalansuwa. The king wears a robe with astral designs and irz bands on the upper arm inscribed in Arabic. From: R. I. Burns, Islam Under the Crusaders (Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1973), unpaginated and unnumbered plate.

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45. Green silk composite dress embroidered with gold thread from 15th-century Spain, which is one of the prototypes of the Moroccan kiswa l-kabra. From: Karl Khler, A History of Costume (G. G. Harrap: London, 1928), p. 228. 46. Kiswa l-kabra of violet velvet richly embroidered with gold thread (qill) from Tetouan, probably 19th century. The composite dress consists of a wrap-around jala-skirt, a qumbz-corselet over a ktifplastron, and detachable akmm-sleeves (Courtesy of the Israel Museum). 47. Algerian mufti wearing long Andalusian sirwl, over which is a dark blue qafn, a short-sleeved qab"a-vest and a white silhm. On his head is a Turkish-style #imma mubarraja over which is tied a large dark scarf known as a muannaka which is tied at the neck to form a cowl similar to the ancient aylasn. From: G. Marais, Le costume musulman dAlger (Librairie Plon: Paris, 1930), Pl. XIII (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, Estampes O f 2 a). 48. Painting of a Jewish woman from the Dra# Valley in Southern Morocco. She wears a straight, simple shift of white cotton, called t G smir or mir (from Andalusian tashamr), over which is a white izr wound around the body twice, then pulled over the shoulders from the back, and pinned on both sides of the bosom with a pair of silver fibulae, called khillla in Arabic and tizerzay in Berber. Her head is tightly covered with a small red silk scarf with colored stripes, called #abrq with false tresses of horse hair, wool, silk or feathers protruding at the forehead and in back, and with tufts of ostrich feathers at the temples. Another scarf, called qab, forms a headband to hold the #abrq in place. The two head scarves are fastened with a large network of double chains, called talgamt, which also supports the weight of the enormous hoop earings or akhr. A large fishl-veil covers the head and falls down over the shoulders and back. From: Jean Besancenot, Costumes du Maroc (Edisud: Aix-en-Provence and Al Kalam: Rabat. 1988), Pl. 60. 49. Tetouani Jew in traditional black garb, ca. 1900. From: Jewish Communities in Spanish Morocco (Beth Hatefusoth, The Nahum Gold-

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man Museum of the Jewish Diaspora: Tel Aviv, 1983), unpaginated and unnumbered plate. 50. The Jewish amn of the jewelers in Mogador, Morocco, 1935. He G smir-body shirt is a wears traditional black attire. Over his white t farajiyya, then an unbuttoned bad #iyya-vest, both of which are cinched with a multicolored silk kirsiyya-cummerbund, and finally an open jukha-coatall of which are black. His headcovering is a traditional black shshiyya. (Courtesy of the Israel Museum, Besancenot Collection, No. BB 27.) 51. Linen thawb with decorative embroidered collar, vertical bands in front, on hem, and sleeves.(Courtesy of the Coptic Museum, Cairo, No. 2066.) 52. irz silk fragment inscribed with name of the Fatimid caliph al\kim (1007-1021) and decorated with birds (muayyar). (Courtesy of the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, No. 8264.) 53. Village scene in the Maqmt, painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237. All of the women, indoors and out, are unveiled (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, folio 138). 54. Courtroom scene from a Maqmt manuscript from, ca. 1240. One of the two women before the q wearing a bukhnuq-wimple and an izr draped toga-fashion is barefaced. The other holds her rid" mantle across her face as a veil (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, folio 134). 55. Interment scene at the graveyard from the Maqmt manuscript painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237. All of the female mourners are without veils (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, folio 29 verso). 56. Illumination from a Maqmt manuscript, probably from Syria, ca. 1300, depicting two women accompanying Ab Zayd on the road. Both women wear a white miqna#a covering the entire lower portion of the faces, and both are enveloped in large wraps, a white

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izr for the woman on the left and a colored rid" for the one between the two men (British Museum Add 22114, fol. 135 verso. 57. Engraving of 19th-century black burqu#-veils. From: E. W. Lane, The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (J. M. Dent & Sons: London and Toronto, and E. P. Dutton: New York, 1908), p. 51. 58. Moroccan woman in jellba with a straight rectangular lithm fastened under the hood (collection of Y. K. Stillman). 59. Moroccan woman in Tetouan jellba with a triangular bandanastyle lithm fastened over the hood. (Courtesy of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.) 60. Engraving of two women in 19th-century Lattakia, Syria. The standing figure is veiled with a flowered full-face veil and an enveloping dark abara, the reclining figure with a white yashmaq, and light colored mul"a. From: Lortet, La Syrie daujourdhui (Paris, 1884), plate facing p. 48. 61. Iraqi izr with bsha/pa screen veil covering the entire face. (Courtesy of Israel Museum, Jerusalem.) 62. A Rabati Jewish woman in the 1920s enveloped in a white fringed izr which she holds across her face below the eyes with her right hand. Her jala-skirt with its decorative bands of gold-thread embroidery extends below her wrap. From: J. Goulven, Les mellahs de Rabat-Sal (Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner: Paris, 1927), Pl. XIV. 63. Veiled women in both traditional and western attire in Istanbul. From: L"Illustration (1907), reprinted in Hayat (January 4, 1957). 64. Black #abya of tightly woven coarse wool, possibly goat hair, from 1930s Palestine. Gold and silver metallic thread (qaab) is used for decoration around the neck opening and along the shoulder seam. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No. FA 72.25-32.)

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65. Mans qumbz from the Hebron area of brown herringbone twill weave with striped silk facing. It was machine stitched between 19501960 and has the modern innovation of pockets on either side. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No. FA 72.25-2a.) 66. Moroccan bulgha in various colors and leathers. The ones with rounded toe and colored thread embroidery are from the High Atlas. (Collection of Y. K. Stillman. Photographer: Forrest Bacigalupi). 67a-b. Front and back view of a Palestinian taqra or sala of black silk crepe with multicolored cotton thread embroidery from ca. 1940. The floral and avian motifs are foreign. Another innovation is the two large pockets on the inside front. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No. FA 72.25-33). 68. A Moroccan boys striped woolen jallba (Courtesy of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism). 69. Transjordanian villager in the early 20th century wearing a thawb, kibr, and #ab"a. On his head is a dark kfiyya and thick #aql. From: Alois Musil, Arabia Petraea (Vienna, 1908), fig. 29. 70. Traditional womans wedding ensemble known as qmjja kabra still worn in Nabeul, Tunisia. From: S. Sethom, La tunique de mariage en Tunisie, Cahiers des Arts et Traditions Populaires 3 (1969), fig. 9.

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contents

xxxi

LIST OF FIGURES

1. Qab" tatar fastened with bow ties on right side and cinched with a sash. After al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5036, fol. 82 verso). 2. Qab" fastened in front with frog buttons and cinched with a sash tied with a large knot. After al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5036, fol. 43 verso). 3. Sandal with crisscrossed thongs at ankle. After al-\arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, fol. 76 verso). 4. Sandal with thongs simply tied around ankle. After al-\arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, fol. 76 verso). 5. Example of a simple scarf laid crisscross at the chest. After al\arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, tenth maqma). 6. Short Rid" with the two ends tied in front with a large knot. After al-\arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, fol. 42 verso). 7. Moroccan-style farajiyya. After Brunot, Noms de vtements masculins Rabat. 8a. Moroccan-style fawqiyya. After Brunot, Noms de vtements masculins Rabat. 8b. Moroccan-style tashmir (mir). After Brunot, Noms de vtements masculins Rabat. 9. Examples of present-day styles of the niqb in the Arabian Gulf states (where it is also called burqu#). After, Kanafani, Aesthetics and Ritual in the United Arab Emirates.

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10. Example of fuller form of a womens azy" shar#iyya outfit as worn in Egypt. After Rugh, Reveal and Conceal. 11. Example of the Palestinian thawb. After Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry.

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A NOTE ON STYLE

Non-English words are always explained or translated at their first occurrence and are italicized throughout. The transcription of Arabic names and words follows the system employed in the Encyclopdia of Islam, new edition, with the usual exception made by most Englishspeaking Arabists of j instead of dj to represent the letter djm and q instead of to represent qf. Place names and the names of dynasties are given in their familiar English forms and without diacriticals. Persian, Hebrew, and Aramaic words have been transcribed according to a simple, standardized system that is on the whole compatible with the Arabic transcription. Turkish proper names and words are given in their Arabic form. In the historical chapters dates and centuries are generally given first according to the Gregorian reckoning and followed after a slash (/) with the Hijra equivalent.

introduction

INTRODUCTION

Clothing constitutes a cultural statement. It is a manifestation of culture, no less than art, architecture, literature, and music. Like all cultural phenomena, it communicates a great deal of information both on the physical and symbolic level about the society in which it is found. Fashions, or modes of dress, reflect not only the aesthetics of a particular society (what might be called the adornment factor), but also its social mores and values (the modesty/immodesty factor, or reveal/conceal factor). Furthermore, dress is often a clear economic indicator. The fabric, quality of cut, and ornamentation of a garment are commonly badges of socioeconomic status. More subtly and often symbolically, clothing reflects religious and political norms. In Islamic society, clothing has historically been intimately connected with notions of purity and impurity (ahra and najas), ritual behavior (sunna), and the differentiation of the believer from the unbeliever (ghiyr), as well as the separation of the genders (ijb). Thus, within Islamic society clothing constitutes a cultural complex, or what Roland Barthes has dubbed a vestimentary system.1 The study of clothing belongs to the larger field of socio-historical studies subsumed under the rubric of material culture (materielle Kultur or Sachkultur in German and culture matrielle in French, the two languages in which much of the leading work in this field has been done).2 Although the field of material culture is well developed for Classical Antiquity and for the European Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and modern times, it is less so for the Islamic world (including the Arab lands), particularly for the premodern period. Even the ethnographic studies of contemporary Middle Eastern and North African traditional dress are meager, with the most extensive work having been done on the Maghreb during the colonial period, and these latter studies are often primarily descriptive rather than analyt1 Roland Barthes, Histoire et sociologie du vtement: quelques observations mthodologiques. Annales: Economies, Socits, Civilisations 3 (1957). 2 Much of the work in English on material culture until relatively recently has been in the areas of archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, and folklore/folklife.

introduction

ical. Historical treatments of the subject have been rather uneven. This is attributable to several factors; not least among these have been the major foci of Middle Eastern scholarship: language and literature on the one hand, and intellectual and political history on the other.3 Another factor is the wide variety and mixed quality of the sources for the study of Islamic costume history. These sources include scattered references in literary and non-literary texts in various Middle Eastern languages, European travelogues, artistic representations (both indigenous and foreign), and actual fragments of preserved garments. With the exception of an occasional chapter in a text of adth (traditions of the Prophet Muammad) or fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), a isba manual (handbook for the inspector of markets), or an adab (polite high culture) treatise, very few discrete works were devoted to clothing. Most mentionssome very detailed and some very sketchyof the subject were made in passing, apropos of something else.4 Studies of costume are generally concerned either with the reconstruction of an aspect of historic dress or with the documentation of modern traditional or folkloric (meaning twentieth-century) costume. Garments or costume accessories which are older than two centuries are relatively rare, so despite differences in focus and period, reconstructions of historical dress all share a reliance on contemporary (that is, of that period) writing and visual arts for information. Travelers, local historians, and authors of legal documents all mention the clothing of the indigenous people they are observing or of their peers, as the case may be, but it is a challenging job to sort through the confusing array of brief descriptions and the variety of terminology used. Since the authors never give complete descriptions of the clothing they mention, the corroborative evidence provided by the work of contemporary artists is crucial. Unfortunately, the artists often depict costume in a sketchy manner, leaving the viewer to
3 See Eugen Wirths strong appeal for having material culture integrated into Orientalist studies, Orientalistik und Orientforschung, ZDMG, Supplement III:1 (1977), pp. lxxv-lxxx. 4 For various studies dealing specifically with the problematics of using written sources for the study of material culture, see Heinrich Appelt (ed.), Die Funktion der schriftlichen Quelle in der Sachkulturforschung (sterreichischen Akademie des Wissenschaften: Vienna, 1976).

introduction

imagine the detailsan easy job for a contemporary, but much more difficult after hundreds of years. This book is a study of one important aspect of Arab material culture. It is a relatively short historical survey of Arab attire from the rise of Islam to the present. It is a synthesis of my views on Arab dress that have taken form over thirty years of work in this field. While in part descriptive, its principal focus is on the evolution and transformations of modes of dress through different periods and geographic regions in the history of the Arab world. Arab clothing is treated as part of a vestimentary systemthe Islamic vestimentary system. Clothing is discussed on various levels: within the context of the social, religious, aesthetic, economic, and political trends of each age. Or again to cite Barthes, this books attempts to establish lequivalence entre la forme vestimentaire et lesprit gnral dun temps ou dun lieu.5 In addition to the five historical chapters (One-Four and Eight), several chapters (Five-Seven) have been devoted to discrete topics that are major themes running through Arab costume history; namely, the differentiation of non-believers by an imposedbut irregularly enforceddress code, the important socioeconomic and political institution of irz (textiles embroidered with inscriptions), other luxury fabrics and khila# (honorific garments), and perhaps the most wellknown and frequently misunderstood aspect of the Islamic vestimentary system by people in the Western world, the institution of veiling. The ninth and final chapter is a bibliographical epilogue surveying and evaluating some of the principal modern studies of Arab dress and the kinds of approaches they take to the subject. This vademecum is meant as an introduction to the academic literature and its types and is an ancillary to the much more detailed bibliography that follows it. As will be apparent from the numerous notes, this book is based on a great many sources. In addition to the Arabic literary and religious texts, observations of outsiders, such as European travelers, there is for the Middle Ages the unique documentary material from the tenth through thirteenth centuries of the Cairo Geniza manuscripts. The approximately 750 trousseau lists written in Judeo-Ara5

Ibid., p. 430.

introduction

bic (Arabic language in Hebrew script) are a mine of information on female attire in Egypt during that period of nearly 400 years. Together with other Geniza documents such as business and private correspondence, these manuscripts complement much of the scattered and often scanty, information we have from Arabic literary sources. I first came to the study of these texts which were the basis of my doctoral dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania under the tutelage of my late lamented mentor, the doyen of Geniza scholars, S. D. Goitein. There is in addition to the sources just mentioned, another important documentary source material that has been used extensively for Chapter Three of this book; namely, that provided by Islamic art. Pictorial representations of clothing in murals, sculpture, wood and ivory carving, inlaid metalwork, and ceramics provide evidence of how clothing looked for much of the medieval period. Extremely detailed information on clothing is found in Arabic book illuminations from the twelfth through fourteenth centuries. These illustrations show the differences in male, female, and childrens dress. They also show the differences in dress between urban and rural folk, between various classes of society, and between Arabs and non-Arabs, such as the Turkish and Tatar military overlords who ruled over the Middle Eastern Arab countries at that time. The paintings in manuscript show many of the colors, patterns, and embellishments described in the literary and documentary texts. The question might well be posed: How reliable are these artistic sources? In studying Islamic art with another beloved teacher and mentor, the late Richard Ettinghausen, I came to the belief, shared by him and other Islamic art historians that Arab painting (though not always Persian painting), woodcarving, and metal inlays, within certain limits, are on the whole, accurate mirrors of their times. Still another source upon which the book is based is the archaeological evidence of actual garments or fragments of garments that have survived from the medieval period and are now mainly in museum collections. And for the last two centuries, there are the numerous substantial ethnographic collections of traditional clothing from Arab countries in museums and private collections in North Africa and the Middle East, North America, and Europe. For the modern period, there is of course a great abundance of

introduction

material not available for earlier periodsnewspapers, magazines, and best of all photographs. But these have their own problematics of interpretation. Not a few ethnographic photographs of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (and some later ones) are staged images, catering to European romantic notions and taste for exotica. Young women and sometimes young menaccording to the proclivities of the photographerare occasionally posed with clothing that reveals parts of the body which would never be exposed in real life. Women are sometimes shown in scenes of daily life absolutely laden with jewelry in quantities that might not even have been worn on festive occasions. Furthermore, because of the emphasis on the romantic and the exotic, photographs by European photographers often fail to show trends in fashion within the Arab world which have proceeded rapidly with the increasing globalization of Western material culture throughout the last few decades of the twentieth century. Y.K.S.

chapter one PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA AND THE EARLY UMMA

Arab Clothing Before the Rise of Islam The earliest evidence for the clothing worn in ancient Arabia is the rupestrean art of prehistoric Arabia (second and first millennia B.C.). These rock drawings show men wearing relatively little clothing aside from a cache-sexe and a variety of headdresses ( Some sort of slippers or sandals were also worn by both sexes.1 Despite numerous references to the Arabs in classical geographical and historical literature, there is only scattered and scanty information concerning their attire. Herodotus mentions that the Arabs wore the zeira, a sort of long flowing garment caught in with a belt.2 This most certainly is the earliest mention of that most basic Arab garment, the izr (also found in the forms azr, izra, mi"zar, and in Middle Arabic texts and vernaculars zr), a large sheet-like wrap worn both as a mantle and a long loin cloth or waist cloth (cf. late Biblical Hebrew zr). Herodotuss testimony is corroborated by Strabo, writing four centuries later, who says of the Arab Nabataeans that they go without tunics, with girdles about their loins, and with slippers on their feet. Statues from the ancient north \ijz kingdom of Liyn depict the ruler as being bare chested, wearing only the zr around the waist, just as Strabo described their northern neighbors the Nabataeans.3 The mode of wearing the izr by the Muslim pilgrim in a state of irm, or temporary consecration, reflects this ancient fashion (see Pl. 1).
1 See Emmanuel Anati, Rock-art in Central Arabia, vol. 1 (Institut Orientaliste: Louvain, 1968), pp. 159, 163, et passim, and for illustrated examples, figs. 4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 21, 25. 2 Herodotus, The Histories, Book 7:66; by Aubrey de Slincourt (Penguin Books: Baltimore, 1954), p. 440. 3 Strabo, Geography, XVI, 4, 26. Ren Dussaud, La pntration des Arabes en Syrie avant lIslam, Institut Franais dArchologie de Beyrouth, Bibliothque Archologique et Historique, tome LIX (Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner: Paris, 1955), p. 132, fig. 29.

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Those Arabs who lived within the cultural sphere of one or another of the great empires could not help but be influenced by the fashions of the higher civilizations, clothing being a manifestation of culture, no less than art, architecture, and literature. Thus we find statues of the Arab rulers of Hatra in Mesopotamia which depict them wearing Parthian-style dress. Some wear a sleeved mantle and chiton, and others Persian trousers and military festoons.4 Those Arabs who inhabited the oasis towns of the Syrian desert apparently dressed in the fashion of the eastern Hellenistic world; that is, in tunics, wraps, and mantles.5 This Hellenistic mode of dress, though considerably more refined, belonged to the same broader vestimentary system as did the traditional clothing of the Arabs in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Bedouin, because of their conservative existence beyond the pale of sedentary civilization, have maintained a fairly constant style (albeit with considerable change of detail) of dress from pre-Islamic times down to the present. Throughout the Muslim world loose wraps have always been an extremely common feature of dress for both men and women. The great medieval Arab sociologist, Ibn Khaldn, noted that wraps, as opposed to tailored or fitted clothing, were the mark of non-urban dwellers (The people of the desert do not need it [i.e., the craft of tailoring] because they wrap themselves in pieces of cloth).6 Ibn Khaldns observation, of course, needs some modification. Townspeople both in Arabia and in the more cosmopolitan centers of the eastern Mediterranean wore wraps also. However, these were of finer quality, often ornate, and were worn over fitted clothing. Detailed descriptions of Arab clothing in Antiquity with regard to color, pattern, and fabric, are, alas, woefully lacking. The Bedouin have into modern times always shown a preference for dark garments. And there is reason to believe that this was true at least as far back as Late Antiquity. The Babylonian Talmud cites the dark gar4 Franz Altheim and Ruth Stiehl, Die Araber in der alten Welt, vol. 2 (Walter de Gruyter: Berlin, 1965), p. 227. 5 See Dussaud, La pntration des Arabes, pp. 100-105, figs. 20-23, et passim. 6 Ibn Khaldn, Muqaddima (Qsim Muammad al-Rajab: Baghdad, n.d., repr. Beirut 1900), p. 411. My translation. The rendering in The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History, vol. 2, trans. Franz Rosenthal (Pantheon Books: New York, 1958), p. 367, does not quite capture the sense of the original Arabic yashtamilna l-athwb ishtimlan.

pre-islamic arabia and the early umma

ments of an Arab as an example of a blue-black color it is trying to define with precision (Tractate Niddah, 20a). Clothing is frequently mentioned in Jhil poetry, especially the many kinds of outer mantles such as the burd, izr, mir, ray, rid", and shamla (apparently similar to the bibl. Heb. simla). For example, in a well-known ode, the sixth-century poet al-Samaw"al b. #Adiy" states that If a mans honor is not sullied by baseness, then every rid" in which he cloaks himself will become him.7 Al-A#sh, who lived into the earliest days of the Islamic era, talks of women who walk unsteadily because of the train of their baqr (a sleeveless shift) and their izra.8 The poet prince Imru l-Qays (died ca. 550) described the substitute ray [a nickname for the khimr] with edge unfolded.9 Tertullian mentions that Arabian women appeared in public totally enveloped in their mantle in such a way so that only one eye is left free.10 This fashion continues in places as far apart as Iran and southern Algeria and Morocco. The use of footwear in Arabia goes back to prehistoric times and was certainly necessitated by the harsh landscape. Many of the figures in the ancient rupestrean engravings mentioned above wear some sort of distinctive shoe or sandal. The Talmud specifically mentions that the sandals worn by the Arabs are close-fitting (Tractate Yevamot, 102a) and that they are knotted tightly by the shoemakers (Tractate Shabbat, 112a). The Time of the Prophet and Early Islam The fashion of dress of the earliest Muslim community was on the whole an extension of the preceding period, with certain modifications for the new moral sensibilities engendered by Islam. Functionalism was now tempered by ideology. It is interesting to observe that many of the garments worn by the Prophet and his contemporaries
7 A. J. Arberry, Arabic Poetry: A Primer for Students (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1965), p. 31 (Arabic text). 8 Cited in R. P. A. Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les arabes (Jean Mller: Amsterdam, 1845), p. 36. 9 \asan al-Sandb, Shar Dwn Imri" al-Qays (al-Maktaba al-Thaqafiyah: Beirut, 1982), p. 67, no. 6: ka-mi#qab al-ray idh nashsharta huddbahu. 10 Tertullian, De virginibus velandis, 17: Judicabunt vos Arabiae feminae ethnicae, quae non caput, sed faciem quoque ita totam tegunt, ut uno oculo liberato . . .

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continued through the centuries as the basic clothing of villagers and Bedouin both throughout the Middle Eastern heartlands and in wider Muslim world, being simple, functional, and suitable to the ecology. Functionalism, however, was, as just noted, now tempered by ideology. The cosmopolitan urban dweller, though perhaps far more conscious of sunna (Islamic tradition) than his rural or nomadic cousins, has since Umayyad times been constantly modifying his wardrobe. Stylistic variance also increased in the farther regions of the Islamic world, as for example in the Maghreb. Nevertheless, the basic outlines of the Islamic vestimentary system have remained remarkably constant even in the city and even in far-flung regions. The basic articles of clothing at the time of the Prophet for both sexes consisted of an undergarment, a body shirt, a long dress, gown, or tunic, and an overgarment such as a mantle, coat, or wrap, footgear consisting of shoes or sandals, and a head covering. A person might wear many garments or only one depending upon a variety of factors including weather, occasion, economic means, etc. Many of the items of clothing worn by men and women were identical. Indeed, many of the articles were simply large pieces of fabric in which the wearer wrapped himself, the basic fashion that Ibn Khaldn associated with the ahl al-badw, the people of the desert. What must have set off male from female fashion in many instances was the manner of draping, the accessories (jewelry, head- and footgear, and veils), as well as colours, fabrics and decoration. (The present-day stylistically different use by men and women of the jallba in Morocco or the #ab"/#ab"a in various parts of the Middle East offers a suggestive parallel.) The basic undergarment was the izr (sometimes referred to as aqw), the loincloth which goes back to prehistoric times. It may well bealthough there is dispute over this point in the Muslim traditions as well as in Western scholarshipthat sirwl (from Old Persian zrawro; modern P. shalwr) or underdrawers were already in use by this time before the conquest of Iran. Persian cultural influenced had filtered down into Arabia through the Lakhmid kingdom of \ira and perhaps up through the Yemen which was wrested from Ethiopian occupation by the Persians in 575 and remained a Sasanian satrapy for more than fifty years when the Bdhn, the last Persian satrap embraced Islam in 628. The use of underdrawers is attested in the ancient Near East outside the Persian cultural orbit. The Israelite

pre-islamic arabia and the early umma

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priests, for example, wore linen breeches as part of their vestments when performing sacred rites (cf. Exodus 28:42-43). There are adths both claiming and denying that the Prophet wore sirwl. From many adths, however, it would seem that there were women who were certainly mutasarwilt, i.e. wearing the sirwl, at this early period. In one well-known story the Prophet averted his glance out of modesty from a woman who had fallen from her mount until he was assured that she was wearing a sirwl. How these early sirwl looked cannot be ascertained. In later Islamic times they differed greatly from country to country and included all sorts of pantaloons, kneebreeches, long trousers, and close-fitting drawers. It is reported that the men who bore #$"ishas litter on the pilgrimage wore tubbn, small sirwl or briefs (see Pl. 2).11 Not everyone in early Islamic Arabia could afford a separate undergarment, and there are numerous adths in which men without underwear are forbidden to sit or squat publicly, truss up their garments while working, or to drape themselves in the fashion known as al-amm" whereby one end of the mantle is pulled up on the shoulder leaving the other side of the body exposedapparently in the style of the Greek chiton.12 The new Islamic sensibilities which were in marked contrast to Jhil society=s easygoing attitude to nudity and very much in line with biblical notions of propriety (cf. Exodus 20:23) would not permit exposure of a mans genitalia in accordance with the koranic injunction O Children of Adam! We have revealed unto you clothing to conceal your shame (Sura VII:26). The medieval Arabic dictionaries in fact defined clothing (libs) first and foremost functionally and ideologically as that which conceals or covers the pudenda, and the word libs itself in late medieval usage and later Arabic dialects became the general term for undergarments and more particularly pantaloons.13 The basic body shirt was the qam (from late Latin camisia).14 Like
al-Bukhr, a, kitb xxv, bb 18. See, for example, al-Bukhr, a, viii, 8; viii, 10, 1; lxxvii, 20, 2; and most of the other canonical collections. 13 See for example al-Frzbd, al-Qms al-Mu and al-Zabd, Tj al-#Ars min Jawhir al-Qms, s.v. Already in the Arabian Nights, the words libs and sirwl are used interchangeably. For examples from modern dialects, see Yedida Kalfon Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry (University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, 1979), pp. 18-19 and the sources cited in the notes on p. 122. 14 Cf. Jerome, Epistola LXIV, 11; and also Thesaurus Linguae Latinae III (B. G. Teubner: Stuttgart and Leipzig, 1907), p. 207, and the sources cited there from the fourth through early seventh centuries.
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so many items of Islamic attire, it was worn by both sexes. It ranged from mid-thigh to full length and could have long or short sleeves. The opening for the neck was round unlike the square-cut thawb and could either be slit down the front or not. Just as in the Arab world today, the qam was frequently worn by children as their sole garment. The Prophet supposedly covered his uncle al-#Abbs with a qam when the latter was taken prisoner naked at the battle of Badr in 624/2 A. H. Any variety of robes or tunics might be worn over the qam. These include the thawb which in addition to being a long- or short-sleeved gown was also a general word for garment (the plurals thiyb and athwb designate clothes in general) and fabric, since many garments were no more than a piece of cloth (shiqqa). Also worn over the qam were the jubba, a woollen tunic with rather narrow sleeves which was imported in the Prophets time from Syria and perhaps elsewhere in the Byzantine Empire;15 the ulla, a long, flowing coat which the Prophet wore tucked up when he went out and of which he is reported to have worn on occasion a red one of great beauty;16 the qab", a luxurious, sleeved robe, slit in front, with buttons (muzarrar), made of fabrics such as brocade (dbj), and apparently of Persian provenance;17 the farrj, a robe similar to the qab", but slit in the back. The Prophet is reported to have received a silk farrj (farrj arr) as a gift, to have worn it, prayed in it, and finally to have thrown it off as if it were suddenly loathsome, saying that it was not fitting for the God-fearing.18 The custom of wearing several layers of tunics and robes continued through the Middle Ages and still persists in traditional areas today. In Morocco, for example, one frequently sees a man wearing two and even three jallbas (hooded outer robe) over two or more tunics. Arabian fashion required both men and women to wear a mantle
al-Bukhr, a, lvi, 90 and lxxvii, 10; and Ibn Mja, Sunan, xxxii, 4. al-Bukhr, a, lxxvii, 3; ibid., lxi, 23, 11. 17 The Prophet is given aqbiya muzarrara (qab"s adorned with buttons) as gifts: Ibn \anbal, Musnad IV, 328; and on another occasion he is also given aqbiya min dbj (qab"s of brocade): al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Khums, bb 11 and Kitb al-Adab, bb 82. 18 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-alt, bb 16, and ibid., Kitb al-Libs, bb 12; Muslim, a, Kitb al-Libs, adth 23; and also in al-Nas" and Ibn \anbal.
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of some sort over everything else when appearing in public. In the case of the less well-to-do, the mantle or outer wrap might be the only garment over the underwear, and there are numerous adths dealing with questions of public modesty which arose because of the common presence of men dressed in a single wrap at prayer. Once again, it is the ubiquitous izr which was the fundamental garment in this category for both sexes. Another basic one was the shamla, which like izr simply means wrap. These were usually white or some other light color. The khama, on the other hand, was black with ornamental borders (a#lm). In a frequently repeated adth, the Prophet found himself distracted by the decoration on a khama he was wearing at prayer and called for a simple woollen cloak known as an anbijniyya. The name of the latter indicates perhaps that such cloaks were originally imported from the town of Manbij in Syria.19 Like many wraps as far back as biblical times (cf., for example, Exodus 22:25-26), the khama also served as a sleeping garment. Some wraps and mantles at this time seem to have been associated with one sex or the other, although these were in the minority. The rid" was a mans mantle par excellence, and for the man of honor, in the words of the Jhil poet al-Samaw"al, every rid" he wears is becoming. The jilbb, khimr, and mir, on the other hand, were primarily for women. The traditionalists al-Tirmidh, Muslim and Ab Dwd all repeat a adth about Muammad wearing a black mir, but all other references to this garment are solely in a feminine context. In several adths, the Prophet is specifically said to be wearing his wife #$"ishas mir, which would seem to indicate that it was normally a womans garment.20 Then, as now, there were many names
19 al-Bukhr, a, viii, 14, 1, et passim; Ibn Mja, Sunan, xxxii, 1. For the limited information about Manbij as a place of textile manufacture, see R. B. Serjeant, Islamic Textiles: Material for a History up to the Mongol Conquest (Librairie du Liban: Beirut, 1972), p. 126, n. 20, citing Lammens. However, Serjeant mentions no textile by this name. See R. Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes, 3rd ed. (Brill: Leiden, 1967), p. 39, where it is only defined as a kind of fabric of coarse, shaggy wool. For anbajn as an adjective for anything belonging to, or made at Mambij, see F. Steingass, A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary Including the Arabic Words and Phrases to be Met with in Persian Literature (Routledge & Kegan Paul: London, 1963), p. 104. 20 The Prophet reported to wear a black goats hair mir: Muslim, a, Kitb alLibs, adth 36; Ab Dwd, Sunan, Kitb al-Libs, bb 5; al-Tirmidh, Sunan, Kitb al-Adab, bb 49. Feminine context: Imr" al-Qays, Mu#allaqa, 28; al-Bukhr, a,

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for wraps and mantles, and these were often synonymous, perhaps reflecting earlier usages of regional dialects. That the terms were frequently interchangeable is clear from a adth where a woman brings the Prophet as a gift a woven burda with a border (burda mansja fh shiyyatuh) which she herself had made and asks the people assembled if they know what a burda is. They answer a shamla. The story continues that Muammad wore it as his izr [sic] and gave it upon request to a man who wanted it for a shroud.21 Many of the later Arabic dictionaries are unclear about the precise nature of early wraps and mantles mentioned in poetry and use the name of one to define another. For example, a raya is defined both as any mul"a that is not made of two stitched pieces, and also as a milafa, while a mul"a is defined as an izr!22 Many wraps and mantles were known by their fabrics. Thus the namira was a mans wrap with stripes of varying colors which gave it the appearance of a tigers skin, whence its name. The mulabbada was simply a felted kis" (the generic word for wrap; cf. Assyrian kustu, biblical Hebrew kest, both general terms for garment or covering). The burda or burd was a wrap of striped woollen cloth produced in the Yemen. The Prophet wore a Najrn burd with a wide border. He gave one such mantle of his to the poet Ka#b b. Zuhayr which became legendary. The distinction between fabric and garment is often not clear. The ibara was a striped garment similar to the burd, and according to the traditionalist Anas (died ca. 710/92 A.H.) in a adth quoted in most of the canonical collections, it was the favorite garment of the Prophet (although there is a less common tradition that the qam was his favorite).23 Yet we also read of ibara garments, and
lii, 15. The Prophet wearing his wifes mir: Muslim, a, Kitb Fa"il al-aba, adth 27 and elsewhere. 21 al-Bukhr, a, xxiii, 29; Ibn Mja, Sunan, xxxii, 1; and with variations elsewhere. 22 Muammad Murta al-Zabd, Tj al-#Ars min Jawhir al-Qms V (Dr Matkatabat al-\ayt: Beirut, n.d., repr. of Bulaq Press: Cairo, 1306-1310 A.H.), p. 145 and ibid. I, p. 120; and for other dictionaries, see Edward William Lane, An Arabic-English Lexicon, III (Williams and Norgate: London, 1867), p. 1200. 23 What article of clothing did the Prophet like best? The ibara, he replied. See for example, al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bb 18; Muslim, a, Kitb alLibs, adth 33; al-Tirmidh, Sunan, Kitb al-Libs, bb 43 and 45; Ab Dwd, Sunan, Kitb al-Libs, bb 11; and elsewhere. For the qam as favorite, see Ab D"wd, op. cit., bb 3; and al-Tirmidh, op. cit., bb 27.

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thus, in a tradition attributed to #$"isha, the Prophet was wrapped in a burd of ibara fabric when he died (sujjiya bi-burd ibara).24 The siyar" was both a mantle of Seres (Gk. ; Aramaic shr) or Chinese silk and the fabric itself. Thus we find ulla siyar", burd siyar", qam arr siyar", and a striped textile produced in Aden from such silk and designated musayyar. It was considered so luxurious that the Prophet is reported to have told #Umar only those who have no chance for the world to come would wear a ulla siyar." He did, however, give such garments because of their great value as gifts to his Companions but did not expect them to wear them, and when his nephew and son-in-law, #Al, made the mistake of doing so, the Prophet was displeased.25 Precisely how these mantles and the many others mentioned in the traditions were draped we cannot know, but it is quite clear from the sources that there was a wide variety of styles. This is further corroborated by the fact that in those parts of the Islamic world where traditional wraps and mantles are still worn today there is considerable variation from one locale to the other in draping style. The canonical adth collections are almost unanimous in citing condemnations of the practice of ostentatiously trailing ones garment along the ground (jarr min al-khayul"). The pre-Islamic poets frequently describe the dragging of ones garments along the ground in times of peace, prosperity, and carousing. The poet #Amr b. Qam"a bemoaning his lost youth recalls the times when I trailed my ray and mirs to the nearest wine-merchants and shook my curly locks.26 And poet Ta"abbaa Sharran juxtaposes the easy-going manner of the warrior when he went about among his tribe with trailing garment and flowing dark hair with his demeanor when he went to out to battle.27
24 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Jan"iz, bb 3 et passim; and in most of the other canonical collections. 25 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Jum#a, bb 7 et passim; as well as in most other canonical collections. For the incident with #Al, who not only removed the garment but cut it into pieces and distributed them to his wives, see ibid., Kitb al-Libs, bb 30. In the Talmud, the cognate shr is also both a garment and the fabric. Cf. Tractates Ketubbot 63b, Shabbat 90a, and Kiddushin 32a. For some further references to this fabric in the Arab world, see R. B. Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, p. 124. 26 Georg W. Freytag, Hamasae Carmina, vol I, pt. 2 (Typis Reiis Arabicis in Fooicina Baadeni: Bonn, 1828), p. 504. 27 Ibid., p. 383: musbil fi l-ayy aw rifall.

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Ankle-length garments were considered proper in the early umma. Shorter garments became the mark of an ascetic, longer ones the mark of a libertine. Already in the Prophets time the ancient Near Eastern practice of covering the head out of modesty and respect was the norm for both men and women. It is for this reason the Muslims and Jews customarily cover their heads when praying, rather than baring them as in the West. The Qur"n warns that the wicked man will be dragged down to hell by his exposed lying, sinful forelock (Sura XCVI, 15-16). Of course, a man or woman could draw his or her long mantle or ample wrap over the head, and in the case of women this was and still is the most common fashion even when some sort of hat or veil is worn under it. The Prophet is reported to have visited Ab Bakr while wearing the border of his burd over his head with a black headband (#iba dasm"). In his last public appearance before his death, Muammad supposedly wore his milafa (a wrap similar to the izr) over his head, again held in place with a black headband.28 The #imma or turban has been worn by the Arabs since pre-Islamic times. The word turban which is used in one form or another in all western languages derives from Persian dlband via vulgar Turkish tulbant or tolibant. The #imma of Jhil and early Islamic times was probably not the composite headgear of the medieval and modern periods consisting of one or two caps (qiyya or #araqiyya and/or qalansuwa, kulh, or arbsh) and a winding cloth, but merely any strip of fabric wound around the head. Georg Jacob has suggested that the later turban is a synthesis of Arab and Persian styles. This is certainly plausible since the entire Islamic vestimentary system isas I have frequently argueda synthesis of pre-Islamic Arab, Hellenistic Mediterranean, and Irano-Turkic modes of dress.29 In the early umma, the #imma certainly did not have any of the significance it was later to have as a badge of Islam (sm al-Islm) and a divider between unbelief and belief (jiza bayn al-kufr wa
al-Bukhr, a, lxxvii, 16; ibid., lxi. 25, 51. Georg Jacob, Altarabisches Beduinenleben: nach den Quellen geschildert (Mayer and Mller: Berlin 1897), p. 237. Yedida K. Stillman, The Medieval Islamic Vestimentary System: Evolution and Consolidation, in Kommunikation zwischen Orient und Okzident Alltag und Sachkultur (sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften: Vienna, 1994), pp. 271-305; idem, Libs, EI 2 V, pp. 732-33 and 747.
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l-mn). Nor was it yetin the words of a proverb still heard in Morocco, at leastthe crowns of the Arabs (tijn al-#arab). The many adths which provide detailed descriptions of the Prophets #imma are clearly anachronistic. For later generations of Muslims, Muammad was the wearer of the turban (ib al-#imma), and like many of the accoutrements associated with a hero of epic proportions, his turban had a nameal-sib or the cloud. According to a Shi#ite tradition, he willed it to #Al. This adth may have been circulated in order to counteract any prestige accruing to the Umayyad and #Abbasid caliphs by their possession of the Prophets burda which they used as a charismatic symbol of their legitimacy. One of the few reliable facts we know about the #imma in early Islamic times is that it is one of the garments specifically forbidden to a person in a state of irm. The #imma must have consisted of a very long strip of fabric as in later periods, since there are reports of its being used for bandaging. For example, #Abd Allh b. #Atk, while on a military assignment for the Prophet, bound his broken leg with his turban.30 The #imma was not by any means the only form of Arabian male headcovering in the Prophets time. There were a variety of hats, caps, and headcloths. Some of the words used to designate these items were used for different articles of headgear in later periods. The qalansuwa, and the burnus are two such examples. In the early umma, the qalansuwa which during the Umayyad caliphate became the name of a high, miter-like hat, originally designated a close-fitting cap. The burnus, which from the Middle Ages to modern times has been the name of a hooded cloak so common to the Arab world that it passed into most European languages (Spanish albornoz, French and English burnous) at least as early as the sixteenth century, seems to have been a sort of high cap or bonnet. Already in the early Muslim Arabia, the burnus must have also designated by extension a cloak with hood, despite Bjrkmans view to the contrary since #Umars assassin was prevented from escaping by a Muslim who threw a burnus over him.31 The word qalansuwa apparently also could designate a hood or cowl, since it is mentioned along with the #imma
al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Maghz, bb 16, no. 2. Contra W. Bjrkman, Turban, EI 1, IV, 889, cf. al-Bukhr, a, Kitb Fa"il al-aba, bb 8, no. 1.
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as one of the garments which a man might spread under him for prayer when the ground was too hot.32 The aylasn was a shawl-like headcloth which, though worn by Muslims, was considered a typically Khaybar Jewish garment. Anas b. Mlik, the prolific traditionalist who had served Muammad from the age of ten, is reported to have remarked upon seeing some Muslims at Friday prayers wearing aylisaIt seemed to me at that moment as if I were seeing Jews from Khaybar.33 It could be that the aylasn was identical with the Jewish allth, the four-cornered shawl with show fringe (Hebrew ith) on each corner in accordance with the biblical injunction of Numbers 15:37-39ff. Jews in the Eastern Mediterranean world in the centuries just preceding Islam wore a variety of such shawls (Talmudic Aramaic appiliyn and isla) which were without the ritual fringes no different from their Roman counterparts, the pallium and the stola. Perhaps the aylisa that Anas saw Muslims wearing had the corner fringes like the Jewish garment. A coin of the Umayyad Caliph #Abd al-Malik (ruled 685-705/65-86 A.H.) depicts the caliph draped in a aylasn with a long tassel clearly visible on one corner.34 The aylasn of early Islamic Arabia was probably a local variant of an eastern Roman garment and not the same as the Persian shawl, also called in Arabic aylasn which later became fashionable in the medieval caliphate.35 The high cap known as arra or urr, though not mentioned in the early traditional literature, appears already in a 7th-century papyrus.36 The sixteenth-century traveler and naturalist Pierre Belon
al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-alt, bb 23. al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Maghz, bb 38, no. 13. 34 For the Greco-Roman cloaks and the allth, see Alfred Rubens, A History of Jewish Costume rev. ed. (Weidenfeld and Nicolson: London and Jerusalem, 1973), pp. 17-22 and 27; also Yedida K. Stillman, Costume, Jewish, DMA III, pp. 618-619. The coin in question is in the Cabinet des mdailles, Bibiothque Nationale, Paris, and is reproduced in D. and J. Sourdel, La civilisation de lIslam classique (Arthaud: Paris, 1968), illus. 23 (between pp. 104 and 105). 35 It is widely accepted that the word aylasn is a loan from Persian tlish and tlishn. In fact, all of these namesGreek stole, Latin stola, Hebrew allth, Arabic aylasn, and Persian tlish/tlishnmay all be etymoligically related. For a good summary and bibliography of the debate as to which is derived from which, see Albert Arazi, Noms de vtements et vtements daprs al-adth al-isn f fal alaylasn dal-Suy, Arabica 23 (1976), pp. 131, n. 2 and 147, n. 1. 36 J. von Karabaek, Abendlndische Knstler zu Konstantinopel, in Denkschr. d. Kais. Akad. d. Wissen., Bd. lxii, Abh. 1 (Vienna 1918), p. 67.
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suggested a connection between this cap and the ancient Egyptian headcovering called by the Latin writers turritum capitis ornamentum or turritam coronam. However, S. Fraenkels suggestion that the word is derived from Aramaic ertn seems more probable, since such hats were worn in the Aramaic-speaking regions in the period just prior to the advent of Islam. They are depicted in several murals from Dura-Europos and elsewhere.37 On military expeditions, men wore a mighfar or ghifra, a cap or headcloth of mail over which was worn a qalansuwa or a helmet known as baya (so-called because of its resemblance to an ostrich egg). The Prophet was wearing a mighfar on the day Mecca surrendered. The mighfar was also called sabgha when it had a mail-covered back flap (rafraf) to protect the neck.38 In addition to headcoverings of mail, the earliest Muslims also wore mail battle dress. The principal form of armor was the coat of mail known as dir# or dir#a which Nldeke thought to be of Ethiopic origin, but as Bosworth has shown, was borrowed from Persia.39 Also mentioned in the early sources is a jubba min add or tunic of mail. As the legenda dora surrounding the Prophet developed in the generations that succeeded him, his armor, like his turban and sword, acquired a proper heroic name. One of his coats of mail was called dh subgh.40 Women in early Islamic times normally covered their head and
37 Pierre Belon, Les observations de plusieurs singularitez et choses memorables trouves en Grece, Asie, Jude, Egypte, Arabie et autres pays estranges, cited in Dozy, Vtements, 263; Siegmund Fraenkel, Die Aramischen Fremdwrter im Arabischen (Georg Olms: Hildesheim 1962; repr. of Leiden, 1886), p. 53. For references and variants in talmudic literature, see Marcus Jastrow, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature I (Pardes Publishing House: New York, 1950), p. 552. For artistic depictions of such hats, see for example, Richard Ettinghausen, From Byzantium to Sasanian Iran and the Islamic World, Mayer Memorial Studies III (Brill: Leiden 1972), Pl. xix, no. 65. 38 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Jihd, bb 169. This adth is repeated several times in al-Bukhr and in most of the canonical collections. For sabgha as a type of mighfar, see Ibn \anbal, Musnad VI, p. 141. 39 Theodor Nldeke, Neue Beitrge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft (Karl J. Trbner: Strasbourg, 1910), p. 53; and C. E. Bosworth, Iran and the Arabs, in Cambridge History of Iran III: The Seleucid and Parthian Periods, ed. Ehsan Yar-Shater, (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1983). 40 al-Zabd, Tj al-#Ars VI, p. 16.

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face with any of a variety of veils when appearing in public. In addition, they were usually entirely enveloped in the large jilbb from head to foot leaving only one eye free, a style which, as already noted, was mentioned by writers in late Antiquity. A common head veil was the mandl or mindl (ultimately derived from Latin mantellum; cf. Spanish mantilla). The word may also have already been used at this time for handkerchief or hand cloth.41 The three most common face veils were the qin#, a rectangular piece of fabric that covered the head and fell down like a curtain over the face, the lithm, a rectangular cloth covering the nose and the lower half of the face, and the burqu#, a harness-like affair consisting of fabric suspended from the center front of the headband (#iba) to cover the face. The lower corners of the burqu# were attached to the sides of the headband by a string creating a mask-like effect. The burqu# is still worn by married women amongst the Sinai Bedouin. #$"isha wore neither of these veils when she was a murima (l talaththamu wa-l tabarqa#u).42 Other veils worn by women at this time were the niqb and the naf. Although veiling for women was apparently not as strict as in later urban Islam, it is clear that Jhil women of good standing did cover their faces before strangers, and a woman who was without veil was described as sir (also sira in the feminine form), the same word used to describe a warrior with no armor. Poets sang of how they were dumbstruck by the beauty revealed when a face was unveiled before their eyes or used the image, as did Tha#laba b. u#ayr, as a simile (like an Amas woman without a veilka lAmasiyya fi l-naf al-sir) for something white and fair that suddenly was manifest. The poet al-Shanfar tells how he was smitten by a woman even though she did not let her veil drop (la-qad a#jabatn l saqan qin#uh).43 Oddly enough, there is no mention of any sort of hats or head-dresses for women at this early period, despite a veritable plethora of such items from the High Middle Ages to modern times. In fact, even
41 See the detailed discussion on the mandl in Franz Rosenthal, Four Essays on Art and Literature in Islam, Mayer Memorial Studies II, (Brill: Leiden 1971), pp. 63-108. 42 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-\ajj, bb 23. 43 al-Mufaal ibn Muammad, al-Mufaaliyyt, ed. Charles James Lyall (Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1921), Arabic text, pp. 259 (Th#alaba) and 200 (al-Shanfar).

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some of the ancient rock drawings from Arabia depict women wearing crown-like hats.44 Men too did veil on occasion, normally by wearing the outer mantle (izr, rid", burd, milafa, etc.) in such a way as to cover both head and face). The Prophet is described on more than one occasion as being mutaqanni#. This does not necessarily imply that he was wearing the face veil known as qin# or miqna#a since the verbs qanna#a, aqna#a, and taqanna#a were all used in a more general sense of covering the head and face, and one could use ones mantle (mul"a, burd, or rid") or even ones robe (thawb) for the purpose. Very handsome young men sometimes veiled their faces, particularly at feasts and fairs, in order to protect themselves from the evil eye.45 The free end of the turban cloth frequently served as a face veil to protect the wearer against dust while riding. It was veiled in this fashion that Umayyad viceroy al-Hajjj in 694/75 A.H. entered into the mosque at Kufa, mounted the pulpit, and dramatically bared his face as he began his famous sermon with the lines I am the son of splendor, the scaler of the high places/When I take off my turban you know who I am. Footwear for both sexes fell into one of two catagoriesthe na#l, or sandal, which could be of palm fibre, smooth leather, or leather with animal hair, and the khuff, a sort of shoe or boot made of leather. The Prophet apparently considered the na#l to be the norm in male footwear. A person who did not have a pair could wear khuff instead, but according to one tradition that probably reflected an ascetic tendency which considered khuff to be luxurious, Muammad recommended that one should cut the upper part of the boot down to ankle length.46 Fine sandals in Jhil poetry were the mark of a high-ranking personage. The poet al-Nbigha in a panegyric to the Ghassnid royal family describes them as wearing soft fine sandals.47
Anati, Rock-Art in Central Arabia I, pp. 78-80 and 163. For the Prophet veiled, see al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bb 16 and in many other places throughout the canonical traditions; for the use of the mul"a for veiling, see ibid., Kitb al-Maghz, bb 80, no. 1; the burd, see Amad ibn \anbal, Musnad V, p. 204; for rid", see ibid. II, p. 96; for thawb, see al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Maghz, bb 16. For veiling as a defense against the evil eye, see al-Ifahn, Kitb al-Aghn, VI, p. 33; XI, p. 28; XIII, p. 137; XV, p. 157; also Julius Wellhausen, Reste arabischen Heidentums, 3rd edition (W. de Gruyter: Berlin, 1961)2, p. 196. 46 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bb 37, nos. 3-4. 47 al-Nbigha al-Dhubyn, Dwn al-Nbigha al-Dhubyni, ed. Muammad Abu l-Fal Ibrhm (Dr al-Ma#rif: Cairo, 1990), p. 47, vs. 25.
45 44

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Each sandal might have one or two laces (shirk or shirkn). The Prophet customarily wore double-laced sandals of tanned leather without animal hair.48 The various kinds of slippers which are popular throughout the modern Islamic world under a variety of names (bbj, tsma, surmja, bulgha, etc.) came into vogue after the conquests and were adopted from the Persians and the Byzantines.

Early Islamic laws and customs regarding clothing The austere nature of the early Medinese umma which reflected the conviction that the Last Judgment was not far off did not encourage luxury of any kind. Many adths recommend modesty and austerity in dress and condemn ostentation and extravagance. The Qur"n promises the righteous garments of silk in Paradise:
Lo, God will cause those who believe and do good deeds to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow and in which they shall be permitted bracelets of gold and pearls, and in which their clothing will be silk.49

However, the Prophet felt that such clothes were inappropriate in this life for men, although apparently not for women. According to a frequently-repeated adth with slight variations in the items, Muammad forbade seven things: silver vessels, gold rings, garments of arr, dbj (brocade), qass (a striped fabric from Egypt containing silk), istabraq (satin), and maythir umr (tanned hides).50 Actually, there are many more fabrics mentioned in the traditional literature which he supposedly proscribed. It would seem that he did make exceptions in the case of individuals suffering from some pruritic skin condition. He allowed #Abd alRamn b. #Awf and al-Zubayr b. #Awwm to wear silk garments while on a military expedition because they complained about being afflicted with lice. According to another tradition, he gave them a
al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bbs 37, no. 2 and 41, nos. 1-2. Sura XXII:23. See also Suras XXV:33 and LXXVI:12 and 21. 50 For examples of slightly different variants, see al-Bukhr, a, Kitb alMar, bb 4 and Kitb al-Libs, bb 45.
49 48

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dispensation to wear a silk body shirt (qam min arr) because of an itch that was plaguing them.51 With the development of the empire and the rise of a leisured class, there came into being a wealth of counter-traditions expressing the permissibility of wearing clothes of silk and other luxury fabrics. Many of the earliest and most reliable traditions regarding clothing deal with irm and questions of ritual impurity caused by menstrual flow or the ejaculation of semen. A man in a state of irm was limited to two simple, untailored garments, an izr around the waist and a rid" on the upper body, draped over one shoulder. Sandals were the recommended footwear. The qam, the jubba, the #imma, the sirwl, the burnus, and khuff were specifically forbidden. The reason for the prohibition is that the qam, jubba, and the sirwl were tailored garments, and the #imma and burnus were headcoverings. Khuff were proscribed because they covered the ankles, but were permitted in the case of a person who had no sandals if they were cut down below the ankle.52 Garments dyed with either saffron or wars, a plant from Yemen which gave a saffron-like color, were also specifically forbidden to a murim, as were garments permeated with the perfume known as khalq which, however, could be used if washed three times.53 It is reported that #$"isha did wear garments dyed with safflower, while a murima. As already noted above, she wore neither the lithm nor the burqu# when in a state of irm, but saw nothing wrong with a woman wearing jewelry, a black or rose-colored head veil, or boots. An illumination in a manuscript of al-\arrs Maqmt probably executed in Syria during the early thirteenth/seventh century depicts pilgrims wearing irm garments that are dyed in subdued hues.54 Despite a few canonical adths which attribute to Muammad the
al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Jihd, bb 91, nos. 2 and 1. al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-\ajj, bb 21, no. 1, which mentions all except the jubba. For the latter, see Muslim, a, Kitb al-\ajj, bbs 6, 7, and 10. 53 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-\ajj, bbs 17, 21, 23; and Muslim, a, Kitb al\ajj, bbs 6, 7, 10. Concerning wars, see Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, pp. 127, 129, 132, and 206, and the sources cited there. 54 See note 42 above. For pilgrims in colored iram garments, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 6094, fol. 103 verso. For pilgrims in white iram as today, but in shorter waist wrappers that are only knee-length, see Oriental Institute, Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg) ms S 23, p. 208.
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statement that the best of your clothes are the white55 and noncanonical ones such as God loves white clothing and he created Paradise white,56 which reflect a later pious preference, it is clear that the Prophet wore many different colored garments, including red, green, and black, in addition to white. He apparently did have an aversion to saffron-dyed garments which he considered inappropriate for men under any circumstances.57 As noted above, he did not forbid such garments to women, except when they were in a state of irm. Although not anywhere near to the same degree as Judaism, Islam also exhibited considerable concern for ritual impurity caused, inter alia, by any issue or flux from the human sexual organs. Intercourse, menstruation, and seminal emissions rendered not only a person ritually unclean, but could also in certain circumstances render clothing touched by emissions impure and therefore unfit to be worn during prayer. Each of the Prophets wives had special menstrual garments (thiyb a).58 Garments defiled by menstrual flow, however, needed only to be washed to be worn for prayer, and if not stained, a menstrual garment may be worn for prayer without washing.59 When the Prophet wished to have physical contact with his wives during their menses, he would have them wrap themselves in an izr before engaging in mubshara (non-vaginal sexual relations).60 Garments stained with sperm also required washing before they could be worn for prayer. #$"isha related that she would wash off the traces of semen and other impurities from the Prophets clothes and that he would then wear them for prayer even with the water stains from the washing still visible.61 However, a garment worn during
55 Ibn Mja, Sunan, Kitb al-Jan"iz, bb 12; ibid., Kitb al-Libs, bb 5; and alTirmidh, a, Kitb al-Adab, bb 46. 56 Dozy, Dictionnaire des noms de vtements, p. 6, citing Majma# al-Anhur. 57 al-Bukhr, Sa, Kitb al-Libs, bbs 33-34. 58 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-\ay, bbs 21 and 22. Muslim, a, Kitb al-\ay, bb 5. 59 Ab Dwd, Sunan, Kitb al-ahra, bbs 130 and 138; al-Tirmidh, a, Kitb al-ahra, bb 104; al-Drim, Musnad, Kitb al-Wu", bbs 83 and 105; see also al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Wu", bb 63, no 1. 60 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-\ay, bb, nos. 1-3; Muslim, a, Kitb al-\ay, bbs 1-3. 61 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Wu", bbs 64 and 65.

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sexual intercourse could be worn for prayer without washing so long as it showed no signs of stain, and one non-canonical tradition specifically states that a junub (a person in a state of major ritual impurity caused by sexual intercourse or seminal emission and requiring ghusl, or major ablution) was not required to wash his garment as well.62 Neither spittle nor nasal secretions rendered a garment unfit for prayer, and when in the mosque, the Prophet spat into the edge of his rid", he then simply folded that part of the fabric over.63 It is not certain whether or not women in the early umma had special clothes for mourning. During the Jhiliyya, a woman wore her worst clothes when in mourning for a husband. The Prophet forbade women in mourning to wear dyed clothing except for garments of #ab, a Yemenite fabric with threads dyed prior to weaving.64 The technical term for mourning garment (thawb al-idd) only appears in Ibn \anbal (Musnad VI, 438) and seems to be a later development. The name implies a garment dyed to a dark iron black.65 The iconoclasm of early Islam extended to garments with images embroidered upon them. Coptic, Byzantine, and Persian garments of the period frequently had human, animal, and vegetal figures on them on the decorative bands and patches. Crosses were also frequently found on Coptic and Byzantine clothes.66 Muammad found such clothing objectionable, removed all such items from his wives living quarters and refused to wear garments on which images were woven. One cryptic adth seems to indicate that he made an exemption for floral designs.67 Later Muslims under the great caliphates, as shall be seen, had no such scruples about wearing fine garments with
al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-alt, bb 2; Zayd ibn #Al, Majm# al-Fiqh [Corpus Juris, La Piu Anatica di Legislazione e di Giurisprudenza Musulmana Finora Ritrovata] I, ed. E. Griffini (U. Hoepli: Milan, 1919), no. 234. 63 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Wu", bb 70; ibid., Kitb al-alt, bb 33, no. 1; Ab Dwd, Sunan, al-ahra, bb 139; al-Nas", Sunan, al-ahra, bb 192. 64 Jhil mourning garments: al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-alq, bbs 46: wa-labisat sharra thiybih; prohibition on dyed clothing: ibid., bbs 48 and 49: wa-l talbas thawban mabghan ill thawb #ab. 65 Ibn \anbal Musnad VI, p. 438. 66 For numerous illustrated examples of such clothing, see Alisa Baginski and Amalia Tidhar, Textiles from Egypt, 4th-13th Centuries C.E. (L. A. Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art: Jerusalem, 1980), passim. 67 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bbs 90 and 93; Ibn \anbal, Musnad VI, p. 172. For the possible exception of floral designs, see al-Bukhr, ibid., 92.
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embroidered figures just as they had no objection to silk, brocade, and other luxury fabrics. As already noted, many of the garments worn in early Islamic times were the same for both men and women, especially tunics and wraps. There were, nonetheless, distinct stylistic differences. Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, strictly condemns transvestitism. However, in Islam this prohibition clearly refers to overall conduct as much as to dress.68 Clothes have always been considered objects of significant material value in the Middle East. They are mentioned as valuable gifts, a medium of payment, and items of booty. A man who had worked in the Prophet=s baggage train supposedly went to Hell for taking a single #ab"a (a sleeveless robe) from the khums, or fifth part of the booty reserved for the Prophet.69 Garments could also be used for the payment of the zakt, or alms tax incumbent upon all Muslims. Garments are also specifically mentioned as being acceptable in lieu of cash as payment for the jizya, the tribute required from Jews and Christians in Yemen at the time of the Prophet.70 As had been the custom of oriental rulers since ancient times, Muammad bestowed valuable garments upon members of his entourage as a mark of favor. The most famous example of this was the gift of his own personal burd to the poet Ka#b b. Zuhayr.71 This particular act became the single most important precedent for the custom under the caliphate of bestowing a khil #a, or robe of honor, and in f circles of a master bestowing his patchwork robe, or khirqa on his designated successor. Many customs were associated with clothes in the early umma.
68 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bb 61. That it is overall demeanor no less than attire that is objectionable, cf. ibid., 61. 69 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al- Jihd, bb 190. 70 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Zakt, bb 33; Ibn Hishm, al-Sra al-Nabawiyya II (Maktabat Muaf al-Bb al-\alab: Cairo, 1955/1375), p. 596. 71 For ancient examples, see Genesis 37:3, where the Patriarch Jacob singles out Joseph with a ceremonial or royal robe; ibid., 41:42, where Pharaoh honors Joseph with fine linen garments; and Herodotus, Histories III, 47, where the Pharoah Amasis sends the Lydian ruler Croesus as a royal gift a corselet of linen embroidered with gold and cotton thread and with figures of animals woven into the fabric. For the presentation of the burda to Ka#b, see Ibn al-Athr, Kitb al-Kmil f Ta"rkh II (Blq Press: Cairo, 1301 A.H.), pp. 133-134.

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Then as now, pious wishes and felicitations were appropriate for someone with a new garment. Muammad wished Umm Khlid abl wa-akhlif ! (wear it out and exchange it!), when he presented her with a small black khama.72 In more recent times, the wishes have become less eloquent, and one simply says mabrk (congratulations) or na#imman (how nice!). In accordance with an ancient custom going back to pagan times, the Prophet reversed his rid" when he went out to make the prayer of supplication for rain (istisq"). He did not reverse his cloak, however, when making the istisq" on Friday in the mosque.73 The act of reversing the garment was apparently symbolic of the change in weather sought. It was still practiced in Tunis at the end of the 19th century. The custom of baring the head in extreme humility during the istisq" ritual also probably goes back to this period, though it is not mentioned in the literary sources until the later Middle Ages.74 Many customs regarding clothes which most certainly have their roots in ancient Near Eastern superstition and are found also in the Talmud are ascribed to Muammad in the Muslim traditions. Thus the believer should always put the right shoe on first and remove the left one first. He should not go out with only one shoe oneither both or barefoot (cf. the ill omen for Pelias of anyone shod in only a single sandal, in the Greek myth of Jason).75 Furthermore, shoes should never be left with the soles facing heavenward. (This latter taboo is still common among Muslims and Jews throughout the Middle East and North Africa.) As shown above, the earliest Muslims in Arabia maintained the same general style of dress that had prevailed in the Peninsula during the preceding pagan period with certain modifications for the new
al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bbs 22, no. 1, and 32, no. 1. Reversing the rid": al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Istisq", bbs 1 and 4; not reversing: ibid., bb 11 (bbs 6-9 all contain adths about the prayer for rain in the mosque on Friday, but make no mention of either reversing or not reversing the mantle, although the implication is clearly that he did not reverse in this circumstance; also ibid., Kitb al-Jum#a, bbs 34 and 35). 74 Wellhausen, Reste, 197; Ignac Goldziher, Die Entblssung des Hauptes, Der Islam 6 (1916), pp. 301-16, especially, p. 304; and T. Fahd, Istis", EI 2 IV, pp. 269-270. 75 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Libs, bbs 38-40; Ab Dwd, Sunan, Kitb al-Libs, bb 41. For a talmudic parallel, see BT Shabbat 61a.
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religious sensibilities. A new chapter in the history of Islamic Arab attire would open when less than two years after the death of the Prophet Muammad, his followers would pour out of their homeland in a war of conquest that expanded the early umma in less than a century into a great empire stretching from the Atlantic to Central Asia. The triumph of Muslim armies fostered a new world outlook, and the settlement of Arabs in the conquered territories brought them into intimate, face-to-face contact with large non-Arab populations with different cultures and different vestimentary systems.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 29

chapter two THE EVOLUTION OF THE ISLAMIC VESTIMENTARY SYSTEM UNDER THE GREAT CALIPHATES

In 633, Arab armies embarked upon raids into the buffer zones between Arabia proper and the Persian Empire to the northeast and the Byzantine Empire to the northwest. Within a decade and a half, they had overwhelmed the entire Middle East. Syria, Palestine, and Egypt were wrested away from the Byzantines; Iraq and Iran from the Sasanians whose dynasty collapsed entirely. By the end of the seventh century, the caliphate had expanded across North Africa to the Atlantic coast, and by the middle of the eighth century, it was firmly established in the Iberian Peninsula and Central Asia beyond the Oxus. The greater Dr al-Islm, or Domain of Islam, comprehended three different cultural zonesnamely, Arabia which had been beyond the pale of the great civilizations, the Hellenistic Mediterranean, and Irano-Turkic Central Asia. Each of these three zones had distinct modes of dress. As already discussed in the previous chapter, the traditional clothing of preIslamic and early Islamic Arabia was characterized by loose, flowing, untailored garments. The clothing of the Hellenistic world was characterized by tunics and wraps, and that of the Irano-Turkic world by fitted or tailored garments that included coats, jackets, and trousers. Various items of attire from the great civilizations had made their way into Arabia even before the founding and expansion of Islam. To some extent, a fusion of these three distinct modes had already begun in the Arabian fringe zones of cultural osmosis, such as Ghassn and \ra, when Islam was born in the seventh century. Over the next few hundred years, there emerged throughout the length and breadth of the Dr al-Islm a generally recognizable Islamic style of dress. There were considerable temporal and regional variations to be sure (as for example, in the Maghreb, or Islamic West, which will be discussed in Chapter Four), but these were within the parameters of a pan-Islamic mode that remained remarkably

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constant throughout the Middle Ages. In addition to the emergence of what might be called Islamic fashion, there developed an Islamic ideology and sociology of dress. Together, this distinctive fashion, its ideology, and its sociology make up a system of meaning which Roland Barthes has dubbed a vestimentary system (un systme vestimentaire).1 The Islamic vestimentary system evolved gradually. At first the Arab conquerors, who found themselves to be a tiny ethnic and religious minority in their vast empire did everything possible to keep themselves distinct and separate and thus preserve their own identity. Rather than settling in large numbers in the native population centers, they established their own garrison towns, or amr, along their own inland lines of communication, safely away from the Byzantinedominated sea. In these new towns where the Arabs were the majority, they could maintain their language, culture, and way of life and not be tainted by an overwhelming majority of non-Arab, non-Muslim subject peoples. But the Arabs could not hermetically seal themselves off from all foreign cultural influences. Not only did they have to maintain an administrative presence in the major preexisting towns, but they obtained large amounts of booty, including valuable clothing and textiles in the course of the conquest and as part of the tribute levied upon the indigenous population. Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, all had great preexisting textile industries. Furthermore, the new garrison towns served as magnets for the mawl, or natives who had converted to Islam and who flocked there to provide goods and services to the conquerors, who like many armies of occupation throughout history had considerable sums of money to spend. These neophyte Muslims, on the one hand, were Arabized as well as Islamized in the amr, which began to grow into great metropolitan centers.2
1 Roland Barthes, Histoire et sociologie du vtement: quelques observations mthodologiques, Annales: Economies, Socits, Civilisations 3 (1957), pp. 430-431; and idem, Le systme de la mode (Editions de Seuil: Paris, 1967), Eng. trans., The Fashion System (Hill and Wang: New York, 1983). 2 For good summaries of the process whereby the amr served as crucibles of Arabization, see William Marais, Comment lAfrique du Nord a t arabis, 1. larabisation des villes, in his Articles et Confrences de William Marais (Adrien-Maisonneuve: Paris, 1961), pp. 171-184; and A. N. Poliak, Larabisation de lOrient smitique, REI 12 (1938), pp. 35-63. The very word mir (singular of amr) comes to mean metropolis in later medieval Arabic. See the classification of city types in

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 31 But on the other hand, they brought with them elements of their own culture, including modes of dress, which passed on gradually to the Arabs and were fused into their vestimentary system. Judging by the rather scattered and scanty literary evidence, most of the Arabian garments of early Islamic times continue into the Umayyad period (661-750/41-132 A.H.), although some items become more and more restricted to Bedouin use, as for example, the mir. The Trend toward Luxury under the Umayyads The most significant change in the history of Arab dress during the Umayyad period was ideological. In the newly triumphant and wealthy umma, and with the Last Judgment seeming less imminent, most Muslims abandoned earliest Islams aversion to luxury garments. It will be recalled that the Prophet had considered silk, satin, and brocade clothing together with gold jewelry to be intemperate luxury (isrf ) and hence inappropriate in this world for men. According to the Qur"n, believers would be rewarded with clothing of silk in the world to come, but in this world the garment of piety, that is best.3 The idea of austerity in male attire quickly gave way in the century following the Prophets death, with the rise of a leisured class in the Islamic Empire. Only the ascetic pietists still wore simple clothing, and they eventually came to be known as fs because of their plain wool (f ) garments. The Muslim bourgeoisie, on the other hand, indulged itself with garments made from every conceivable type of luxury fabric and justified their indulgence with countertraditions expressing the permissibility of wearing silk, brocade, satin, and the like. In the words of one such countertradition, When God bestows benefaction upon one of his servants, He wishes the physical sign of that benefaction to be visible on him.4
the tenth-century geographer al-Muqaddas, Asn al-Taqsm f ma#rifat al-Aqlm, ed. M. J. De Goeje (Brill: Leiden, 1906), p. 7. 3 Sura VII:26. 4 Ibn Sa#d, Kitb al-abaqt al-Kabr IV, Part 2, ed. E. Sachau, J. Lippert, et al. (Brill: Leiden, 1908), p. 29. A pithier version appears in al-Tirmidh, Sunan, Kitb alIsti"dhn wa l-db, bb 87: God wants the signs of His benefaction to be seen on His servants.

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The ruling Umayyad dynasty set the trend toward a more luxurious style. While maintaining some of the simple outer trappings of traditional Arabian governance with consultative councils andinitially at leastpublic access to the caliph at open assemblies, their official art and architecture and private lifestyle were inspired by the imperial culture of the Byzantines and Sasanians. This can be clearly seen from statues, mosaics, and murals adorning the palatial desert retreats, or bdiyas, of the royal family in Palestine, Jordan, and Syria, such as Khirbat al-Mafjar, Quayr #Amra, and Qar al-\ayr al-Gharb.5 Mu#wiya (ruled 661-680/41-60 A.H.), the founder of Umayyad dynasty, was noted for his overall temperance (ilm), including his moderation in dress. #Abd al-Malik (ruled 685-705/65-86 A.H.) and Wald I (705-715/86-96 A.H.) were also singled out for the general restraint that they showed in their personal attire in marked contrast to their predecessor Yazd I (680-683/60-64 A.H.) and most of their successors. For example, a ninth-century source reports that they would wear the same garment more than once and were sparing in their use of perfume. According to a much later source, #Abd alMaliks son, Hishm, is the first Umayyad who is reported to have worn embroidered garments that he had specially made for him.6 Given the generally hostile attitude toward the Umayyads by the historians writing under the #Abbasids who had supplanted them, the reports of these caliphs moderation in dress deserve a considerable measure of credence. The one Umayyad caliph who is held up by later generations as the paragon of piety and simplicity was #Umar b. #Abd al-#Azz (ruled 717-720/99-101 A.H.). He was noted for his personal ascetism, including with regard to his wardrobe which in its entirety, according

5 For a recent succinct summary, see Robert Hillenbrand, La dolce vita in Early Islamic Syria: the Evidence of Later Umayyad Palaces, Art History 5:1 (March 1982), pp. 1-35. See also the earlier, but still extremely valuable Oleg Grabar, Ceremonial and Art at the Umayyad Court (Ph.D. diss. Princeton University, 1954). 6 Patricia Lesley Baker, A History of Islamic Court Dress in the Middle East (Ph.D. diss., School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London: London, 1986), p. 42; Histoire dgypte de Makrizi, tr. E. Blochet in Revue de lOrient Latin, 8 (1900-1901), p. 175. Hishm supposedly had so many embroidered garments made for himself that it required 700 camels to transport what he chose to wear!

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 33 to hyperbolic anecdotes, amounted to the paltry sum of twelve dirhams.7 In a famous letter to #Umar, the pietist theologian al-\asan al-Bar (d. 728/110 A. H.) advises the ruler to beware of this world with all wariness, and points to the examples of prophets and saintly rulers who wore garments of sackcloth and coarse wool.8 But the reports of the ascetic rulers clothing do not specify the fabric. Clothing made of luxury fabrics became the norm for the Umayyad caliphs and their courtiers. Sulaymn (ruled 715-717/96-99 A.H.) and his retinueeven his cookwore only garments of washy or variegated silk, including the jubba, rid", sirwl, #imma, and qalansuwa.9 He is also reported to have worn a green flowing coat (ulla) with a turban of matching color. This color most probably still did not have the associations with the #Alid house that it would come to have several generations later, and the green turban as a specific badge of the sayyids, or descendents of the Prophet, was seven centuries later still.10 Sulaymn had penchant for long, wide sleeves, supposedly because these allowed him to remove little grilled birds from skewers and to grasp hot roasted meat because he did not have the patience to let it cool. Supposedly, the grease stains on his sleeves were still visible more than half a century later when an inventory was made of precious garments that the #Abbasids had inherited from the preceding dynasty.11 The Umayyads appeared in full military attire for ceremonial
Ibn Sa#d, Kitb al-abaqt al-Kabr V, p. 297; and Rghib al-Ifahn, Muart al-Udab" II (Maab#at Ibrhm al-Muyal: Cairo, 1870), p. 207. According to the former, his wardrobe consisted of a qam, rid", qab", quraq (a Persian vest of middle-body length which was later primarily a womans garment), kumma (a cap that is described as a round variant of the qalansuwa), #imma, and khuff. The latter lists the items as qam, sarwl, qalansuwa, khuff, and #imma. 8 An extensive passage from the letter as cited in Ab Nu#aym, \ilyat al-Awliy", is translated in A. J. Arberry, Sufism: An Account of the Mystics of Islam (George Allen & Unwin: London, 1950), pp. 33-35. 9 al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab wa-ma#din al-Jawhar, ed. C. Barbier de Meynard and A. Pavet de Courteille (Imprimerie Impriale: Paris, 1861-1877), p. 400. 10 Adam Mez, The Renaissance of Islam, trans. Salahuddin Khuda Bakhsh and D. S. Margoliouth (Jubilee Printing and Publishing House: Patna, 1937), p. 63. For the color coding of the clothing of social groups under the Mamluks, see Chapter 5 below. 11 al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab V, p. 401; Ibn al-iqaq, al-Fakhr fi l-db alSulniyya wa l-duwal al-Islmiyya, ed. W. Ahlwardt (F. A. Perthes: Gotha, 1860), p. 152; and Baker, Islamic Court Dress, p. 45.
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occasions in keeping with their office of Commander of the Faithful which had martial, no less than religious overtones. However, it was only in the troubled late Umayyad times that Wald II became the first caliph to appear during the great Feasts (#d al-kabr and #d alsaghr) fully armed. Among the distinguishing items of regalia was a special collar (awq). Levy raised the possibility that the passage [a verse of poetry] in which it is mentioned may be interpreted metaphorically, but as Baker has pointed out in her doctoral dissertation, a mural depicting a ruler (probably Wald I) and his attendants from Quayr #Amra, portrays them wearing wide collars that appear to be embroidered or jewelled, and are similar in design to the bracelets or cuffs on their wrists.12 There is one report specifically mentioning the so-called caliphal garments (thiyb al-khilfa) being worn for prayer by al-Wald II (743-744/125 A.H.). Later under the #Abbasids, the caliph wore special robes of office with embroidered borders and which were called by this name. It is only stated of al-Walds caliphal garments that they were clean and white. The report also implies that they were unscented in addition to being undyed.13 The #Abbasid robes of state were in marked contrast normally black, the color of the messianic expectations and rebellion that had formed the backdrop to their rise to power. Their custom of wearing black garments on official occasions was established by al-Manr (ruled 754-775/ 136-158) and was only abandoned for a brief period in favor of #Alid green under al-Ma"mn (ruled 813-833/198-218).14 Despite the Prophets strong objections to saffron-dyed robes (and even to saffron-based perfumes) so often repeated in the adth, at least one Umayyad caliph, the sybaritic al-Wald II, is reported to have had worn a number of such garments. Oleg Grabar has identified Indian influences in some of the Umayyad palatial retreats, and it is known that yellow silk garments were a prerogative of Indian royal families. Therefore, it may well be that wearing of saffron-dyed
12 al-Suy, Ta"rkh al-Khulaf"Umar" al-Mu"minn (al-Maba#a al-Maymaniyya: Cairo, 1887), p. 98 (where al-Wald b. Yazd should be read instead of Yazd b. alWald); al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk, ed. M. J. de Goeje et al. (Brill: Leiden, 1879-1901) II, p. 1177; R. Levy, Notes on Costume from Arabic Sources, JRAS 20 (1935) p. 329; and Baker, Islamic Court Dress, pp. 43 and 443, fig. 3. 13 Abu l-Faraj al-Ifahn, Kitb al-Aghn VI, p. 141. 14 al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III, pp. 1012-1013.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 35 robes, was but one of a number of examples of the Umayyads adopting regal vestimentary symbolism from the other great nations.15 Regal Persian attire became part of the Marwanid Umayyads pomp and ceremony. The caliphal statue from Khirbat al-Mafjar is depicted wearing an ankle-length, Sasanian-style qab" with pearl border. The coat is cinched with an ornamented belt, and sirwl can be seen below the hem of the coats flared skirt (Pl. 3). The stucco caliphal figure from Qar al-\ayr al-Gharb also portrays the ruler in a qab" with pearl border. However, this coat is much shorter going only to the mid-thighs. The loose sirwl that cover the legs appear to be of similar fabric and have a matching pearl border running down the full length of each leg. Equestrian sculptures from the palace entrance hall at Khirbat al-Mafjar also depict men in and a standing military figure in qab"s with puffy quilted sirwl which appear to be studded with jewels or metallic sequins. Another statue from the same venue is of a man in a belted robe of fish-scale armor (perhaps a dir#a or more likely, given the cut of the garment, a jubba min add) with similar quilted and studded pantaloons extended from below the hem of the coat.16 Sulaymn and his courtiers are reported to have worn not only sirwl, but also the conical hat know as the qalansuwa. In fact we know from literary and artistic representation that the high qalansuwa, or qalansuwa awla, was used as a royal symbol by late Umayyad times, although Arab historians of the Middle Ages credited its introduction on a wider scale for people at court to the #Abbasid caliph al-Manr (ruled 754-775/136-158 A.H.). The qalansuwa awla had a miter-like appearance and was described by the Arabic sources as being shaped like a sugar loaf (qlab sukkar). It is also described as an inverted amphora (dann), and hence was later nicknamed danniyya. It consisted of a frame of reed or wood covered with silk or other fabric. A stone qalansuwa awla hung from the vaulted ceiling of an apse in the audience hall of the bath house in Khirbat al-Mafjar, presumably over
15 Abu l-Faraj al-Ifahn, Kitb al-Aghn II, p. 65; Oleg Grabar, Ceremonial and Art, pp. 248 and 251. Concerning the Prophets aversion to saffron-dyed clothing and to clothing dyed with wars, a saffron substitute, see Chapter One above and the sources cited in nos. 53 and 57. 16 See R. W. Hamilton, Khirbat al-Mafjar: An Arabian Mansion in the Jordan Valley (Clarendon Press: Oxford, 1959), Pl. XXXVI, nos. 1-4 and 6-7.

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the throne on which the ruler sat (Pl. 4).17 One satirical poem by the poet and court jester Ab Dulma (died 776/160 A.H. or 786/170 A. H.) describes the tall qalansuwa on peoples skulls as looking like the wine jars of Jews wrapped in cloaks (barnis).18 The shorter qalansuwa was apparently also worn by the Umayyads. A dirham of #Abd al-Malik, struck in Damascus in 695, depicts the caliph wearing such a hat, and the pious #Umar II is mentioned as having worn a kumma, a round variant of the qalansuwa. The kumma and the shorter qalansuwa made of either fur (particularly fox) or cloth and with a winding cloth could form part of a compound turban.19 In addition to the qalansuwa, a low crown or coronet (tj) was also worn as a royal insigne. The caliphal figure from Qar al-\ayr alGharb wears such a crenelated crown.20 Despite the generally negative attitude of later Islam against such symbols of temporal kingship (mulk), such crowns continued to be shown adorning the head of rulers (though usually not caliphs) well into the Middle Ages.21 Still another crown in Umayyad artistic depictions of the ruler is the Persian one. Coins struck in early Islamic Iran prior to #Abd alMaliks reform of the coinage in 696 depict the caliph wearing the elaborate winged crown of the shahs. However, since these coins were simply Sasanian prototypes with added Arabic inscriptions, it may be that such headgear was never actually worn by the Umay-

17 al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab V, p. 400. For artistic representations of the royal qalansuwa, see Richard Ettinghausen, From Byzantium to Sasanian Iran and the Islamic World: Three Modes of Artistic Influence (L. A. Mayer Memorial Studies in Islamic Art and Archaeology III) (Brill: Leiden, 1972), pp. 28-34 (and the numerous sources cited there); 23, Fig. E and Pls. XVII, Fig. 60; XIX, Figs. 65-67; and XX, Figs. 68-69. 18 al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III:1, p. 371. 19 For the coin of #Abd al-Malik, see Ettinghausen, From Byzantium to Sasanian Iran, Pl. XX, fig. 68; for the kumma of #Umar II, see n. 7 above; for the materials out of which a qalansuwa was made, see Ibn Sa#d, Kitb al-abaqt al-Kabr VI, p. 196 and VII:2, p. 25. 20 Daniel Schlumberger, Les fouilles de Qasr el-Heir el-Gharbi (1936-1938), Syria 20:4 (1939), Pl. XLV, 3 (between pp. 330 and 331). 21 See for example the medallion struck in 975 by the Byid amr #Izz al-Dawla in which he is depicted in the royal pose holding a goblet, flanked on either side by an attendant, and on his head a crenelated tj, in the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, Ankara, in D. and J. Sourdel, La civilisation de l"Islam classique (Arthaud: Paris, 1968), illus. 29.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 37 yads. The decorative motif of the Sasanian royal crown did, however, figure into Umayyad art and can be seen worked into the vase and floral decorations of the mosaics adorning the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem where it was used as a declaration of Islams universal dominion.22 Arabic literary references to female attire during the Umayyad period are much scantier than for male. However, three of the pleasure palaces of the Umayyad dynasty, Khirbat al-Mafjar, Quayr #Amra, and Qar al-\ayr al-Gharb are richly decorated with female representations in stucco sculpture and frescoesclad, semiclad, and unclad. The plump, goggle-eyed, curly-haired female statues in Khirbat al-Mafjar, probably representing the houris of Paradise or slavegirls of the harem rather than noblewomen of the caliphal family, wear only an izr around the waist or an izr with sirwl extending from beneath it to the ankles. It is three-quarter length from just below the navel to mid-calf which is in accordance with the principle of later Islamic law that #awra, the pudenda or modesty zone, is that which is between the navel and the knees.23 The skirt on these statues is striped with red, pink, black and white. The fold where the two ends overlap is directly in front displaying the decorated border with a fretted design which also runs along the lower hem. The skirt seems to be rolled over at the waist, perhaps over a tikka, or drawstring. Some of the statues wear a heavy braided necklace with a large round or crescent-shaped pendant as well as bracelets on the upper arms. Some also have a headband (#iba) with a large central medallion in the shape of an eight-petaled flower.24 A fully clothed woman is depicted in a mural from Quayr #Amra.
22 For the early Umayyad dirham from Cabinet des mdailles, Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, see D. and J. Sourdel, La civilisation de lIslam classique, Ill. 22 (between pp. 104-105); for the Sasanian crown motif in the Dome of the Rock and its interpretation, see Richard Ettinghausen, Arab Painting (Skira: Lausanne, 1962), pp. 20-22 and the illustrations on pp. 21 and 23. 23 See Shiu-Sian Angel Hsu, Dress in Islam: Looking and Touching in \anaf Fiqh, (Ph.D. diss., University of Utah, 1994), passim. Interestingly, in several schools of law there is the opinion that for slavegirls the breast is not considered #awra, whereas for free women, it is (ibid., pp. 24-28). This would give further probability to the identification of these Umayyad statues with female servants rather than free women. 24 Hamilton, Khirbat al-Mafjar, Pls. LV, nos. 2-3 and LVI, nos. 4-9.

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She wears a flowing blue tunic, probably a thawb, with a small, round opening for the neck. The tapered sleeves of the garment are threequarter length.25 Other female figures who stand in attendance in the Quayr #Amra murals wear sleeveless full-length dresses (perhaps a ghilla) that follow the contours of the body. The opening for the neck is boat-shaped. All of these women wear necklaces and a head veil that falls below the shoulders. Yet a third series of women appear at first glance to be naked above the waist like the Khirbat al-Mafjar statues, except for a cord that crosses over and under the bust. But as Patricia Baker has pointed out, closer examination reveals details suggesting a transparent blouse or jacket form, with tight sleeves to the elbow.26 Extremely sheer Egyptian linens, called qass and qub, which revealed the body contours of the wearer, had been available in the early umma, and according to a very late medieval legal source, the second caliph #Umar prohibited women from wearing garments made of such revealing fabrics. Although this report from Mamluk times is completely consonant with early Islams and the Caliph #Umars puritanism, it is not corroborated by any earlier sources and ought to be considered doubtful.27 It is, of course, impossible to say with certainty how much the very Hellenistic-looking clothing depicted at Qusayr #Amra actually represents Arab dress in the cities and towns of the Levant in the late seventh and early eighth centuries. It could be argued that they reflect early Eastern Hellenistic prototypes in the artistic tradition of the Syrian craftsmenmost likely Christianswho executed them. However, after two or three generations of Arab occupation, the process of osmosis was probably well underway across ethnic boundaries in the Caliphate, and particularly in Syria with its large Arab population. The amalgamation of Arabian, Hellenistic, and Iranian
Martn Almagro Basch, Qusayr #Amra: residencia y baos omeyas en el desierto de Jordania (Ministerio de Asunto Exteriores, Direccin General de Relaciones Culturales: Madrid, 1975), Pl. VIb. 26 Baker, Islamic Court Dress, p. 51. 27 R. B. Serjeant, Islamic Textiles: Material for a History up to the Mongol Conquest (Librairie du Liban: Beirut, 1972), pp. 161-162, n. 195. #Umars ban is mentioned by the fourteenth-century Mlik jurist Muammad b. Muammad Ibn al-\jj, alMadkhal (Al-Maba#ah al-Miriyah bil Azhar: Cairo, 1969/1348), [Madkhal al-Shar# al-Sharf I (Cairo, 1933)], p. 242.
25

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 39 modes of dress was progressing toward what would eventually become the Islamic vestimentary system. Two of the most significant phenomena of Islamic costume history originate in the Umayyad periodthe sumptuary laws requiring, inter alia, distinguishing clothing for the non-Muslim subject population, and the production of regal embroidered fabrics for clothing. These two subjects will be treated more fully in separate chapters (Chapters Five and Six), but a brief discussion is necessary here.

Early Attempts at Differentiating Muslim and Non-Muslim Dress The laws of differentiation or ghiyr most probably do not go back in any detail to the time of #Umar b. al-Khab, the putative author of the document known as the Pact of #Umar, other than a blanket prohibition on the conquered people from trying to dress like their conquerors, since at that early period the ahl al-dhimma, or tolerated non-Muslim subjects, and the Arabs did not dress alike anyway. Certainly the primary reasons for this general prohibition were those of security and maintenance of a social hierarchy. Although these laws were to be minutely detailed and vigorously and consistently enforced only in later centuries, they go back in general outline as well as in spirit, at least, to the caliphate of #Umar b. #Abd al-#Azz. Dhimms were forbidden to wear Arab-style headgear, including the #imma, #ab, and aylasn, Arab military dress, and certain robes, as for example, the qab". They also had to wear a distinguishing belt called minaq and more frequently zunnr (cf. Greek zonrion). This ordinance may have applied at first only to the more numerous Christians and thereafter were extended to the Jews, Zoroastrians, and tiny groups such as the Sabaeans. Early regulations requiring differentiation in dress also forbade the Arab warriors on duty in the Persian territories of the Empire from donning Iranian clothing, even though as noted above, the Umayyad caliphs had adopted certain elements of Sasanian court costume for themselves and their entourage. Soldiers who put on the Persian cuirass (khaftn) and leggings (rn) were reportedly punished.28 The
28

B. Spuler, Iran in frh-islamischer Zeit (Otto Harrassowitz: Wiesbaden, 1952), p.

515.

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ban prohibiting Arab militia men from wearing Persian-style clothing was certainly intended originally as a security measure, while later attempts to enforce it were meant to stem the rising tide of assimilation in the eastern provinces. Such attempts proved futile, however. By the end of the Umayyad period, the Arabs who had settled in Khurasan were becoming increasingly assimilated into the local culture, and, it may be assumed, had adopted many elements of native attire which was part and parcel of the continuing fusion of Persian modes into the evolving Islamic vestimentary system.

The Beginnings of the Institutions of Khil#a and irz The production of special embroidered fabrics in palace textile factories also began in Umayyad times and became a standard feature of medieval Islamic material culture. The fabrics were known as irz, which in its narrowest sense meant embroidery, especially embroidered bands with writing in them, and in a wider sense, indicated an elaborately embroidered robe, such as might be worn by a ruler or his entourage. As already noted, #Abd al-Malik was reported to have worn embroidered garments. irz garments were bestowed as tokens of royal favor. Al-Wald II is often reported as bestowing his own robes to those he wished to honorfrequently poets and musicians. However, the contexts in which he is described as making the gifts are usually casual, even whimsical, and have none of the formality of institutionalized presentation, nor are the garments described as khila# (sing. khil #a), or specially fabricated robes of honor.29 irz garments and fabrics were also among the standard gifts brought by diplomatic embassies to other rulers as part of foreign policy. In the view of many scholars, the Umayyads most likely took over Byzantine state factory establish-

29 See for example the humorous passage in Kitb al-Aghn describing al-Walds casting off his embroidered robe for the singer Ab Hrn #Aarrad and another from the Murj al-Dhahab in which he strips naked before the musician Muammad b. #$"isha, heaps his clothes upon him, kneels, and covers his body with kisses (translated in Hillenbrand, La Dolce Vita in Early Islamic Syria, pp. 12-13 and 1920, respectively).

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 41 ments and adapted them to their special needs and tastes.30 However, most mediaeval Arab historians believed the production of irz garments to be derived from a Persian institution, and there is some evidence that garments with royal insignia were worn in Sasanian times.31 The truth as to the origins of the irz system would seem to combine both views. The first Umayyad caliph who is specifically mentioned in the Arabic sources as having had irz factories was Hishm b. #Abd al-Malik, although from the context of these references, these were already established institutions.32 In any event, it is clear that by late Umayyad times the irz system extended across the caliphate, and continued to flourish under the #Abbasids, Buyids and Saljuqs.

The Emergence and Consolidation of an Islamic Fashion under the #Abbasids With the rise of the #Abbasid dynasty in 750/132 A.H., conditions became more favorable for the rapid evolution of a new, cosmopolitan, Islamic fashion that combined elements of the three vestimentary systems that were incorporated into the vast expanse of the Dr al-Islmthe Arab, the Irano-Turkic, and the Hellenistic Mediterranean. A number of factors fostered this evolution. Among these factors were: the ever-increasing numbers of non-Arab Muslims (mawl), the decline of Arab social superiority, the transferal of the center of the empire from Syria to Iraq, and the founding of a totally new capital at Baghdad which became the great metropolis of the medieval Islamic oikoumene and played a role comparable to that of Alexandria in the earlier Hellenistic world. Two other very significant factors were the emergence of the Persian ktib, or secretarial, class as cultural trend setters and arbiters of taste and the growth of the bourgeoisie that comprised not only Arabs and mawl, but non-Muslims as well.
30 Thus for example, Ernst Khnel and Louise Bellinger, Catalogue of Dated Tiraz Fabrics (The Textile Museum: Washington, 1952), p. 1. 31 See S. D. Goitein, Petitions to Fatimid Caliphs from the Cairo Geniza, JQR, n.s., 45 (1954-1955), pp. 34-35, where talmudic evidence is cited. 32 al-Jahshiyr, Kitb al-Wuzar" wa l-Kuttb, ed. M. al-Saqq", I. al-Abyr, and A.\. Shalib (Maba#at Muaf al-Bb al-\alab: Cairo, 1938), p. 60.

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The development of a new Islamic fashion did not take place instantaneously in the wake of the Abbasid revolution. The change of dynasties and the other concomitant factors that were just mentioned, gave added impetus and greatly hastened the process. The evolution, however, had been taking place during the preceding period. As we have already seen, the Marwnid Umayyads, starting with #Abd al-Malik, had begun to have a more imperial caliphate and wore regal garments inspired by the royal attire of the Byzantine and Sasanian courts. However, it does not seem that these costumes from the two very different vestimentary systems of the peoples conquered by the Arabs had yet been integrated into a holistic new style. Furthermore, for the Umayyads, the wearing of luxury garments and Iranian fashions were primarily a private indulgence, and not for display beyond the confines of their desert palaces, since they had cultivated the public image of the oldtime Arab desert sayyid. The Abbasids, on the other hand, made public use of special clothing. The second Abbasid caliph and founder of Baghdad, al-Manr, is supposed to have instituted the custom of wearing black robes on official occasions. He is also supposed to have adopted more elements of Persian court dress, not only for himself and the members of his immediate entourage, but for the entire court. It was al-Manr, it will be recalled, that ordered courtiers and officials to don the qalansuwa awila, prompting the poet Ab Dulma to remark sarcastically, We had been hoping for an increase [of largesse] from a [new] Imam, but the chosen Imam only increased the qalansuwas.33 AlManr, who instituted so much #Abbasid practice and protocol, also appears to have been responsible for instituting the practice of donning for certain ceremonies a simple woolen cloak (burda) that had supposedly belonged to the Prophet himself. This was intended to be an obvious symbol of the charisma and legitimacy of the House of #Abbs and a reminder of its familial relationship to the Prophet himself through his uncle.34 Under the #Abbasids, the custom of bestowing robes of honor (khil #a) upon anyone the government wished to favor was an almost daily occurrence, and the caliphs entourage came to be known as the
33 34

al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III, part 1, p. 371. al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III, pp. 1012-1013.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 43 ab al-khil #a, or those who wear the khil #a. Presenting an official with a khil #a became the standard act of investiture, whether it be for the caliphal heir, a vizier, or a provincial governor (see Pl. 5).35 The #Abbasid caliphs maintained huge wardrobes, and fine clothes and luxurious textiles also formed an important element of the states assets. Thousands of garments are listed among the annual treasury receipts under Hrn al-Rashd (ruled 786-809/170-193 A.H.).36 Upon the latters death, his son al-Amn had an inventory taken of clothing, furnishings, vessels, and equipment in the caliphal storehouses. The clothes included: 4000 embroidered qab"s, 4000 rid"s of silk lined with sable, mink, and other furs, 10,000 qames and ghillas, 10,000 khaftns, 2000 pair of sirwl of different kinds, 4000 #immas, 1000 hoods, 1000 capes of different kinds, 5000 kerchiefs of different kinds, 1000 special suits of armor, 50,000 ordinary suits of armor, 10,000 helmets, 4000 pair of khuff, most of which were lined with sable, mink, and other furs, 4000 pair of jawrab (stockings).37 With the rise of the bourgeoisie during the #Abbasid period and the dissemination of the polite and urbane educational ideal of adab by the Persian secretarial class, many new garments and fabrics came into general use, and cultured people became ever more fashion-minded and concerned about their appearance. The tenth-century geographer al-Muqaddas specifically mentions a love of fashion as one of the characteristics of the people of Iraq.38 The language of fashion became more refined. Underclothing was designated shi#r and outerwear dithr. The early aversion to silks and satins was forgotten or ignored by all but a pious few, and only the most ascetic and the poor wore the rough woollen robe known as the khirqa (the later use of this word to designate rag or dishcloth is instructive). Another wool garment worn only by the very poor was the sleeved tunic known as
35 For a khil#a being given to signify the status of heir apparent, see al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab VII, p. 365; for the investiture of a vizier, see Hill al-bi", Ta"rkh al-Wuzar",ed. A. Amedroz (n.p.: Beirut, 1904), p. 176; for investiture of a provincial governor, see al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III, p. 2194. 36 al-Jahshiyr, Kitb al-Wuzar", pp. 179-182. 37 Ibn al-Zubayr, Kitb al-Dhakh"ir wa l-Tuaf (D"irat al-Mab#t wa l-Nashr: Kuwait, 1959), pp. 214-218. 38 al-Muqaddas, Asan al-Taqsm f Ma#rifat al-Aqlm, ed. M. J. De Goeje (Brill: Leiden, 1906), p. 129.

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midra#a. Cultured gentlemen and ladies, on the other hand, were very much concerned with their appearance. The adb Abu l-ayyib Muammad al-Washsh" (d. 936/325) devoted several chapters of his book On Elegance and Elegant People to describing the types of clothing worn by his contemporaries, as well as the acceptable canons of taste for the refined. The fashionable man, according to al-Washsh", outfitted himself in several layers of clothing, beginning with a fine undershirt (ghilla), over which was worn the heavier, lined (mubaan) qam. Both of these ought to be of fine linen, such as dabq or jannb (produced in Egypt and Fars, respectively). Over these tunics was worn a Barajirdi or Alexandrian lined robe (durr#a) or a Nishapur jubba of linen, silk, or mulam (a fabric with a silk warp and a woof of some other stuff). Finally, when going out, the fashion plate would drape over these his Adeni rid" or another cloak known as miraf (also muraf) from Sus which had decorative borders at each end (muashsht) and cover his head, or turban rather, with a Nishapur aylasn of mulam, which at this time was probably a cowl. Cotton mirafs and ones made of Armenian textiles decorated with figures (al-manqsha al-armaniyya) were also considered fashionable outerwear. Making a good appearance also meant not wearing unpleasant or clashing colors. Saffron and yellow were singled out by al-Washsh" as colors to be avoided. A fashion plate should never wear dirty clothes, or new garments together with washed ones, or linen with certain cottons, or clothes perfumed with ambergris like those of slave girls. The scents worn by a bon vivant included powdered musk, rose water solution, ambergris tinctured aloeswood soaked in fermented clove water, royal nadd (a compounded scent that included aloeswood, musk, and ambergris), and #abr (a compound containing saffron). Shoes and sandals could be of any of a number of leathers, colors, and designs. Elegant footwear included East African sandals (al-ni#l al-zanjiyya),39 thick shoes from Cambay in India, Yemeni furry shoes (musha##ara), fine sandals (al-adhw al-lif), light checkered shoes (almukhattama al-khiff), Hshim boots (al-khiff al-hshimiyya), and the
39 Reading, as does Serjeant, zanjiyya for zjiyya. See Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, p. 214, n. 16.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 45 curved shoes of the secretarial class (al-maksra al-kuttbiyya).40 It was permissible to wear shoes in such color combinations as black and red and yellow and black. Boots of red leather or black leather are also stylish. The wearing of stockings (jawrab, from Pers. grab) of khazz and qazz silk and goats wool, a fashion adopted from the Persians, was by now well-established. One accessory not to be neglected by the well-dressed gentleman was the tikka, or drawstring for the sirwl. These were to be of the finest silks such as ibrsim and khazz.41 This little item appeared from time to time in medieval Arabic romantic literature. A lady might send her tikka to an admirer as a token of affection, just as in European romances a maiden might send a knight her scarf or handkerchief. In the Thousand and One Nights, the tikka appears in several extremely erotic and risqu passages.42 Al-Washsh" does not provide as much detail in his chapter on female attire which is devoted specifically to those clothes which differ from those of fashionable men. (As in earlier and later times, many items of clothing were worn by members of both sexes.) The elegant womans lingerie consisted of a smoky-grey colored ghilla (ghilla dukhniyya) and sirwl. White garments of any kindexcept for the sirwlwere considered masculine and were to be avoided. However, undyed natural color linen was permissable. Exactly what kind of dress was worn over the undergarments at this time is not specified. Al-Washsh" does mention, however, that it should be wide-sleeved (akmm mafta) and that the collar should have a drawstring (wa l-jurrubnt al-mukhniqiyya). For her wraps, the woman was to wear a Rashd or a abar rid" (from Rosetta and Tabaristan, respectively). She might then totally envelop herself in a Khurasn izr of mulam. On her head she wore a black mi#jar, which seems to have been the female equivalent of the #imma both in form and use. Black was particularly stylish at this time. The mi#jar was worn to-

Reading kuttbiyya for kuttniyya. al-Washsh", Kitb al-Muwashsh aw al-arf wa l-uraf" (Maba#at al-I#timd: Cairo, 1953/1372), pp. 160-162. 42 See the passages cited in Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms de vtements chez les arabes (Jean Mller: Amsterdam, 1845), pp. 96-97. In true nineteenth-century modesty, one of the passages is translated only into Latin.
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gether with a face veil (miqna#a or miqna#). The Nishapur miqna#a was held in particular esteem. Al-Washsh" does give more detail with regard to fabrics and colors for female attire. The outer mantles could be of striped or banded fine linen (shurb muzannara) or of colored qaab (a fine line decorated with gold or silver) adorned with roundels of silk embroidery (arr mu#ayyan). Women ought not to wear yellow, black, green, pink, or red, except for fabrics that are naturally those colors, such as ldh (a red silk), regular silk (arr), qazz, brocade (dbj), and wshy (variegated silk). The proscribed colors were only worn by Nabatean (i.e., nonMuslim peasants) women, singing servant girls, or in the case of white by abandoned women and of iron-black and blue, by women in mourning or distress. Womens clothing could be perfumed with varieties of musk, sandalwood, hyacinth or ambergris, but not other perfumes. Neither should they be scented by merely sprinkling (wa-l shay" min al-marshsh), which probably meant that the garments should be impregnated with scent. The elegant womans footwear included furry Cambay shoes dyed green, boots in the style of Persian ladies (al-khiff al-zanniyya), curved shoes, and Edessa style shoes. al-Washsh" does not mention female footwear studded with gemstones. However, it is reported by al-Mas#d that Sitt Zubayda, the wife of Hrn al-Rashd initiated this fashion.43 Although at first al-Washsh" says that stylish women ought not to wear a tikka, he then says that they share with men the wearing of ibrsim tikkas and also qazz ones, but not woven brocade ones or ones of braided fine linen and silk (sharrbt al-ibrsimiyya), nor wide belts (al-zannr al-#ir).44 Just as evening dresses and dinner jackets were absolutely de rigeur in nineteenth and twentieth-century European high society, so too formal wear was required for the socialites of #Abbasid Baghdad. At a drinking party (majlis al-sharb), gentlemen were expected to wear the so-called clothes of boon companionship (thiyb al-mundama). These consisted of a fine ghilla, over which were worn a silk qam,
43 44

al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab VIII, pp. 298-299. al-Washsh", Kitb al-Muwashsh, pp. 163-164.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 47 and a bright mul"a. Members of the royal entourage (ab al-khil #a) had special convivial robes of honor which included an #imma of gilded washy, a lined ghilla, and a durr#a (a long ample robe slit in front, with wide long sleeves leaving part of the arm uncovered) of fine Dabq linen. To come to a party dressed in anything else was considered an unacceptable faux pas.45 Persian cultural influences became more pronounced under the #Abbasids. Baghdad was located very pointedly near the ruins of the Sasanian capital of Ctesiphon, and refined Persian civil servants filled the bureaucracy and set the fashion trends in high society. As already mentioned, Persian garments such as sirwl, jawrab, and the qalansuwa awla became widely popular. The Caliph Hrn al-Rashd was apparently not pleased that this hat that had once been a symbol of royalty had come into such common use and forbade ordinary people from wearing it. He himself supposedly wore one inscribed on one side with the word ghzin and on the other with jj (fighter of the holy war and pilgrim), noting the duties that he undertook on alternating years of leading the war against Byzantium and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Only years later, his son and third successor al-Mu#taim (ruled 833-42/218-227 A.H.) allowed its reintroduction for general wear.46 Another Persian garment which was introduced during the #Abbasid period and which became extremely popular throughout the Arab world is the khaftn, a fine robe with sleeves that buttons down the front (the original Persian word designates a cuirass). The caliph al-Muqtadir (ruled 908-932/295-320 A.H.) wore a khaftn of Tustar silk brocaded with silver when he set out on his fatal march against the rebel Mu"nis in 932/320.47 Since the later Middle Ages, the form qafn (variant qufn) has been used exclusively throughout the Arabic-speaking world, due to the influence of Turkish, and it is from the latter that the word entered European languages as caftan.
45 See Muhammad Manazir Ahsan, Social Life Under the Abbasids: 170-289 AH, 786-902 AD (Longman: London and New York, 1979), p. 56 and the sources cited there. 46 al-Ji, Kitb al-Bayn I (al-Maba#ah al-#Ilmiyyah: Cairo, 1893/1313), pp. 41-42; al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III, p. 709; al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab VIII, p. 302. 47 Dozy, Vtements, 162-163; Levy, Notes on Costume from Arabic Sources, pp. 331-332, and the sources cited by both.

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chapter two Dress Protocol at the #Abbasid Court

Court protocol in part based upon Persian models became highly refined under the #Abbasids. In addition to his official black robe and black turban, the caliphs at court wore red boots, a symbol of royalty during the Sasanian period. An eleventh-century manual on court protocol by the government secretary Hill al-bi" describes as follows the dress of those appearing before the caliph who was seated on a raised throne on a dais completely covered with either arman (fine Armenian red wool) or khazz-silk:
As to #Abassids of ranktheir attire is the black qab" of family members and khuff. They are differentiated by the kind of military belt and sword that they wear and in the way that they are worn. However, those among them who have been appointed to judgeships may wear the aylasn. Judges from the capital and those from major cities and towns who are entitled to wear black are to to appear dressed in a qam, aylasn, danniyya, or a qarqafa (an Aramaean-style qalansuwa).48 The danniyya and the qarqafa, however, have been abandoned nowadays in favor of the glossy black #imma. Some people have gone so far as to wear qaab (linen decorated with gold or silver) garments with black khazz-silk embroidery. But in my opinion, qaab should only be worn without embroidery. Descendants of the Anr (the Medinese supporters of Muammad) should wear yellow garments and turbans. However, these days, there are no great personages left from among them. As for the military commanders and officerstheir attire is every sort of black qab" and turbans as have been described. Their footwear consists of black stockings (jawrib) and llakt (a type of shoe) tied with straps (zannr). These are the rules that had to be observed. Those of lower rank are prohibited from wearing black, but are free to choose other colors, so long as they do not abandon all restraint, indulge in vulgarity, and forget the primary rules of ettiquette.49

48 Qarqaf, qarqaf in Aramaic means skull or head. See Marcus Jastrow, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature II (Pardes Publishing House: New York, 1950), p. 1426. 49 Hill al-bi", Rusm Dr al-Khilfa, ed. M. #Awwd (Maba#at al-#An: Baghdad, 1964/1383), pp. 91-92. For a slightly different English translation, see idem., Rusm Dr al-Khilfa (The Rules and Regulations of the #Abbsid Court), tr. Elie A. Salem (American University of Beirut: Beirut, 1977), p. 74.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 49 The Economics of Clothing Fine garments were brought to Baghdad from all over the Muslim world, as well as being imported from abroad. From India came the fa, a long piece of sari-like cloth which served a variety of functions: as a loincloth, apron, and a variety of headgear.50 From China during this period there came oilcloth raincloaks.51 In addition to the ceremonial and political function of clothing, there was its economic importance. Textile production was clearly the major industry of the medieval Muslim world. S.D. Goitein compared its place in the economy of the period to the place of steel and other metals in [the] modern economy. Or as Maurice Lombard succinctly put it (referring to medieval Islam), Les tissus sont la grosse affaire.52 Even today, commerce in textiles and clothing has a place of honor in traditional Islamic countries, and the qaysariyya, or textile bazaar, is centrally located in any sq. Fine garments for men in 9th/3rd-century Iraq ranged in price from 5-30 dinars, and even more. Even an average quality qam cost around two dinars (a laborer at the time earned between one half and one and a half dinars per month), whereas two centuries earlier at the time of the Arab conquest of Iraq it had cost a mere two dirhams.53 However, some of the prices cited by Arab writers for fabulous garments and fabrics are clearly anecdotal, as for example, the 50,000 dinars that al-Khayzurn, the mother of the caliphs al-Hd and
See Yedida K. Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt: According to the Trousseau Lists and Cognate Material from the Cairo Geniza, (Ph. D. diss., University of Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, 1972) pp. 214-216. 51 al-Tha#lab, La"if al-ma#rif (Dr Iy# al-Kutub al- #Ambiyya: Cairo, 1960), p. 221; C. E. Bosworth, tr. The Lat" if al-ma#rif of Th#lib: The Book of Curious and Entertaining Information (Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, 1968), p. 141; Mez, Renaissance of Islam, p. 390. 52 S. D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society I, (University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1969), p. 101; Maurice Lombard, Les textiles dans le monde musulman du VIIe au XIIe sicle (Mouton: Paris, The Hague, and New York, 1978), p. 15. 53 For the ninth/third century price, see Ahsan, Social Life Under the Abbasids, p. 71; for the time of the conquest, see Eliyahu Ashtor, Histoire des prix et des salaires dans lOrient mdival (S.E.V.P.E.N.: Paris, 1969), p. 53; and for the laborers salary, ibid., pp. 53 and 465; and idem, A Social and Economic History of the Near East in the Middle Ages (University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1976), p. 154.
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Hrn al-Rashd, is reported to have paid for a piece of washy.54 Still, it is quite apparent both from the literary and documentary sources that throughout the Middle Ages clothing was very costly in comparison with the other necessities of life and was considered real property. As S. D. Goitein observed, Clothing formed partsometimes a considerable partof a familys investment, being transmitted from parents to children, to be converted into cash in case of emergency.55 Indeed, fine clothing could be converted to cash often far more easily than real estate. It should be noted that the economic significance of garments, their intergenerational transference, and their ready liquidity are all observable features of the vestimentary system in many traditional societies within the Arabic-speaking world up to modern times.56

The Clothing of Commoners and Various Social Groups The clothing of the common folk was generally shorter than that of the elite. Some physical laborers are depicted in illuminated manuscripts dressed only in sirwl, or sirwl and a short mantle such as a shamla, a kis", or milafa.57 Sailors, fishmongers, and bathhouse attendants worked only in tubbn, or briefs. Workers who did wear a tunic of some sort often wore only knee-length ones.58 The Bedouin and
al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab VIII, p. 298. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society I, p. 101. 56 On clothing as a family investment, see Goitein, A Mediterranean Society IV, pp. 189-190. For modern parallels, see Yedida K. Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry (University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, 1979), pp. 33, 34, 38, 39, 53, 62, et passim; also eadem, The Costume of the Jewish Woman in Morocco, in Studies in Jewish Folklore, ed. F. Talmage (Association for Jewish Studies: Cambridge, Mass., 1980), p. 352. 57 See for example the agriculture workers and gardeners depicted in the twelfthcentury manuscript of Pseudo-Galen, Kitb al-Diryq Bibliothque Nationale MS arabe 2964, in Ettinghausen, Arab Painting, pp. 84-85. 58 See for example, the illuminations of a man driving a yoked pair of oxen around a water wheel and another ladling a soup pot in the al-Wsi manuscript of al-\arrs Maqmt, Bibliothque Nationale Ms. arabe 5847 (Schefer \arr), in Thart #Aksha, Fann al-Wsi min khill Maqmat al-\arr: Athr Islm Muawwar (Dr al-Shurq: Cairo, 1992), pp. 97 and 139. In the latter illustration, another man who is slaughtering a camel has pulled up his robe all the way to his shoulders
55 54

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 51 the poor wore for outer clothing a simple qam or jubba and in cold weather one of the abovementioned wraps or a wool #ab" which was a sleeveless, square-cut, mantle-like coat open in front. Wearing a qam without an undergarment was considered extremely uncouth, hence the deprecating expression o qam without a mi"zar!59 In addition to the fs, the working class habitually wore woolen garments. As an eleventh-century agent disparagingly observes in a letter in which he mentions a workman who refused a light weight kis" sent by their merchant employer, These people like whatever has wool in it.60 Certain garments came to be associated with ones profession or status. As already noted the rough woolen robe known as the khirqa was the uniform of a f. The khirqa was usually composed of at least two or three different colored pieces. Frequently patches were added, or it could be entirely covered with patches. Such a patchwork garment was nicknamed kabl (shackles or fetters), perhaps because of its weight.61 The high qalansuwa and the black aylasn and ara head shawl came to be part of the qs uniform. Around the eleventh century, the qalansuwa was replaced by the #imma as the judges headdress. Although the black aylasn remained part of the judicial outfit, it could be replaced by another shawl, the ara which also came in white (see Pls. 6 and 7 for examples of each). Although worn by others, the qab" cinched at the waist with a sword belt (minaqa) was a regular item in a soldiers attire and remained so throughout much of the Middle Ages together with trousers and leggings (sq al-m). The lite military corps known as the abn" (or sons of the caliphal household) wore distinguishing irz turbans and coats. The Khorasani troops wore special marks called bzbakand or bzfakand (from the Persian for hawks nest) which may have been epaullettes. Officers singled out for distinction might add
and has removed his arms from the sleeves, revealing that he is wearing only sirwl and nothing else beneath the robe. 59 Ab \ayyn al-Tawd, Kitb al-Imt# wa l-Mu"nasa II (Lajnat al-Talf wa l-Tarjama wa l-Nashr: Cairo, 1939-1944), p. 59. 60 Cambridge University Library, TS 12.227, translated in Norman A. Stillman, A Case of Labor Problems in Medieval Egypt, IJMES 5 (1974), p. 199. 61 Ibn al-Jawz, Talbs Ibls (Idrat al-ib#a al-Munriyya: Cairo, 1928), pp. 186-187 and 198; and Ahsan, Social Life Under the Abbasids, pp. 58-59.

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a ceremonial collar (awq), a pair of bracelets (siwrn), or a decorated belt (the narrower minaqa or the wider wish with its repeating pattern of jewels and metal studs). Regular troops wore light brown outer garments over a tunic that was sometimes of satin alas). The sirwl might be lined with fur in winter and the leggings could be padded with cotton.62

Imposition of Dress Regulations for Non-Muslims During the #Abbasid period, the laws of differention (ghiyr) regarding the clothing of dhimms were at times more vigorously enforced. In 850/235, the Caliph al-Mutawakkil issued an edict that Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians be compelled to wear honey-colored taylasns and the zunnr belt. He further required that those who wore the qalansuwa attach to it two identifying buttons. The qalansuwa itself had to be a different color than those worn by Muslims. If they wore turbans, then these too ought to be honey-colored. Even the slaves of dhimms had to have identifying clothing. They too had to wear a zunnr and were specifically forbidden to wear the minaqa belt common to soldiers and officials. Their garments had to have a patch four fingers in diameter afixed to the breast and the back. The patches were to be honey-colored and of a different shade than the garment itself. Non-Muslim women were to wear honey-colored izrs.63 Four years later, al-Mutawakkil issued additional sartorial regulations aimed specifically at Christians. The latter had to have the forearm section of the sleeves of their coats (qab") and robes (durr#a) made of yellow fabric, presumably a different color from the garment itself.64 Al-Mutawakkils first edict was aimed primarily at placing identifying markers on non-Muslims clothing when out of doorsnamely, headcoverings and mantles. The second edict was to insure that unbeliev-

62 Ahsan, Social Life Under the Abbasids, pp. 59-61; and Baker, Islamic Court Dress, pp. 69-72 and p. 103, and the sources cited in both. 63 al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III, pp. 1389-1390. The decree is translated in Norman A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book (Jewish Publication Society: Philadelphia, 1979), p. 167. 64 al-abar, Ta"rkh al-Rusul wa l-Mulk III, p. 1419.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 53 ers would be clearly and immediately identified as such even when indoors. How long these specific regulations of al-Mutawakkil remained in force in the #Abbasid east is hard to say. The fact that similar regulations were issued in 907-908/294 during the caliphate of al-Muqtadir would indicate that strict enforcement was short-lived and sporadic.65 This subject will be discussed in more detail and in a broader historical context in Chapter Five.

The Apogee of Medieval Haute Couture under the Fatimids Perhaps no period in the history of the Arab East was more clothes-conscious than that of the Fatimids, who established the great Shi#ite counter-Caliphate in Ifrqiya in 909/297 and added Egypt to their empire in 969/358and soon after Palestine, Syria, and the Hijaz as well. Fatimid pomp and ceremony exceeded anything known in Baghdad, and clothing played a major part in creating the splendid effect.66 The first Fatimid caliph in Egypt, al-Mu#izz (d. 975/365), founded a special government costume supply house known as the dr al-kiswa or khiznat al-kiswa with an outlay of more than 600,000 dinars. An official bureau (dwn) oversaw the production, storage, and distribution of costumes. Every official and functionary from the caliph down
Ibn al-Jawz, al-Muntaam f Ta"rkh al-Mulk wa l-Umam (Maba#at al-Ma#rif al-#Uthmniyya: Hyderabad, 1938-1943), p. 82. 66 A number of important studies have been dedicated to Fatimid ceremonies, the most recent and detailed being Paula Sanders, Ritual, Politics and the City in Fatimid Cairo (State University of New York Press: Albany, 1994). See also K. A. Inostrantsev, Toryestvenii viezd Fatimidiskikh khalifov (The Solemn Entry of the Fatimid caliphs), in Zapiski Vost. Otdyel. Imp. Russ. Arkheol. Obshestva, XVII (St. Petersburg, 1904); M. . Zak, Kunz al-Fimiyyn (Matba#at Dr al-Kutub al-Miriyya: Cairo, 1937); M. Canard, Le crmonial fatimite et le crmonial byzantin: essai de comparison, in Byzantion, 21:2 (1951), pp. 355-420; idem, La procession du nouvel an chez les Fatimides, in AIEO, 10 (1952), pp. 364-98; #A. M. Mjid, Num al-Fimiyyin wa-rusmuhum f Mir II, (Maktabat al-Anjlu al-Misriyah: Cairo, 1955). All of the studies contain considerable information on the use of costume in Fatimid ceremonial, and all draw mainly on al-Maqrz and to a lesser extent on al-Qalqashand and on Ibn Taghrbird, all three of whom depended upon the lost work of Ibn al-uwayr.
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to government clerks, their families, and their household retainers, was supplied with a ceremonial costume (badla mawkibiyya) for public occasions. According to the Mamluk historian al-Maqrz, who drew heavily from the lost work of the late Fatimid/early Ayyubid historian Ibn al-uwayr and who is the almost exclusive source of information for Fatimid ceremonial costume, each person was provided with an entire wardrobe from the turban to the underdrawers (min al-#imma ila l-sarwl).67 The khizna provided different weight clothes and accessories for summer and winter. A complete costume (badla mukmala) could consist of as many as a dozen articles. Naturally, these ceremonial costumes were made of the most costly fabrics. The most popular were arr (fine silk), ss, dabq, sharb, dimy (all linens), khusrawn (kingly brocade), and siqln (siglaton). Most of the ceremonial costumes were white and embroidered with gold and silver threads in accordance with the official Fatimid imagery of luminous splendour and divine light. The selection of the caliphal costume was itself a ritualised event before every holiday. Each rank and office was distinguished by its costume. Those with the rank of amr, normally were given garments of honor of dabq and turbans with gold thread irz inscriptions. The entire outfit was worth at least 500 dinars. The highest ranking amrs also received embellished collars, arm bands, and swords. The vizier got a jewelled necklace instead of the collar. The most outstanding item of the caliphs attire was his enormous turban which consisted of a cap (shshiyya) around which was wound a mandl in a fashion unique for the ruler in the shape of a myrobalan (al-ahallaja), an ellipsoid Indian fruit. This special manner of winding the caliphal turban, which according to al-Maqrz was hitherto unknown, was called the winding of majesty (shaddat al-waqr). The eunuch who had the responsibility of doing the winding was a particularly distinguished retainer because he touched that which was placed on top of the caliphal crown. The entire turban was ornamented with jewels. An enormous solitaire (yatma) mounted on a silk band was centered on the caliphs forehead. The entire headgear was
67 al-Maqrz, al-Maw#i wa l-I #tibr bi-Dhikr al-Khia wa l-Athr I (Blq Press: Cairo, 1853), pp. 409-413.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 55 called the noble crown (al-tj al-sharf).68 This unusual turban may perhaps be the one worn by an equestrian figure on a Fatimid lustre ware bowl now in the Bardo Museum in Tunis (see Pl. 8). The rest of the imperial retinue wore a variety of less splendid headdresses. The chief eunuchs of the court who were the amrs of the palace, all wore turbans which were distinctively wound under the chinthe so-called tank al-imma or simply al-anak. Thus, they were known as al-ustdhn al-muannakn. The caliph al-#Azz (ruled 975996/365-386) became the first ruler to appear with the anak and eventually so did the vizier and the amrs. This fashion was introduced into the east by the Fatimids from the Maghreb, where it still may be seen, especially in southern Algeria and Morocco (see Pl. 9). Another head covering which is first mentioned during this period is the kalawta or kalta (cf. Latin calautica; French calotte, Persian galta) which was a kind of cap. It was to become a standard item in Ayyubid and Mamluk times.

The Geniza: A Unique Source for Islamic Attire in the Fatimid Period In addition to the literary and artistic sources and the relics of surviving fabrics and garments, there is a unique documentary source for the costume history of the Fatimid, Ayyubid, andto a lesser extentthe Mamluk periods; namely the papers and papyri of the so-called Cairo Geniza. Discovered a century ago, these manuscripts which totalled some 200,000 items, consisted of discarded books and documents that had been deposited since the Middle Ages mainly in the storeroom of a synagogue in Fustat (Old Cairo) and also in the cemetery of Basatin. Much of the documentary material from the Fatimid to the Mamluk period is in Judeo-Arabic; that is Arabic language written in Hebrew characters.69 Of particular importance for our knowledge of clothing in this period are the some 750 trousseau lists (nednyt) appended to Jewish marriage contracts (ketbbt) from the Geniza. In combination with
al-Maqrz, Khia I, p. 448. For an introduction to the Geniza and the story of its discovery, see Goitein, Mediterranean Society I, pp. 1-28.
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ancillary Geniza records, these trousseau lists offer a wealth of information on the attire of Jewish women in medieval Egypt, and by extension, the attire of Muslim women as well (see Pl. 10). Information for male costume comes from commercial documents, but is by no means as extensive or as detailed. One fact stands out clearly from the evidence of the Geniza documents, and that is that Jewish and Muslim women dressed alike during the Fatimid period and the greater part of the Ayyubid period which followed. The Geniza trousseau lists give every indication that with the exception of al-\kims idiosyncratic reign (discussed in Chapter Five) the restrictive laws of ghiyr were not enforced. The same garments are mentioned as in the Islamic sources. There is no limitation in the Geniza as to color (as was imposed briefly under al\kim and was later the norm in Mamluk times) and textile. Quite to the contrary, there is the greatest variety of hues and diversity of fabrics. Jewish women, like their Muslim counterparts (and most likely Copts as well) went out veiled in public. The Geniza documents show that the bourgeoisie consciously or unconsciously tried to imitate the modes and mores of the ruling class. Merchants, for example, bestowed khila# and irz garments upon relatives and friends. For example, in a contract of betrothal (shear rsn), the groom-to-be promises to give his bride a robe of honor on their marriage night.70 In a letter written while on a business trip to India, a merchant orders as a gift for his beloved son a irz turban of fine dabq linen with the young mans name embroidered on it.71 People of means wore all the precious fabrics known to us from the descriptions of the Fatimid ceremonies, such as khusrawn and the irridescent qalamn (also known as b qalamn), which the eleventh-century Persian traveler, Nir-i Khosraw, considered one of the marvels of Egypt.72 Over sixty fabrics are mentioned in the Geniza. Of these, forty-six
70

Cambridge University Library TS 8 J 9, f. 9: wa-an yadfa# lah #ind al-dukhl

khil #a. Westminster College Cambridge Cairo Misc. f. 9, ll. 19f [No. 50 in Goiteins unfinished India Book]. 72 Nassiri Khosrau, Sefer Nameh: Relation du voyage, Charles Schefer (Ernest Leroux: Paris, 1881), p. 111. Nir-i Khosraw describes it as changing color with the different hours of the day.
71

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 57 are known from the literary sources collected by Serjeant. Among the Geniza fabrics not included in Serjeants textile history, are: arjsh and ashraf (the first probably and the latter most certainly a cotton), qbis, bwal, lalas, and shaq"iq (the first probably and the other three definitely varieties of silk), musaftaj (a stiff linen), am"il (a fabric named perhaps for its belt-like designs), jallya (a fabric with a glossy or shiny surface), muthallath (literally triangle cloth, perhaps a fabric with three different types of thread), and fi, labkh, mi#jar, qurbq, and ar (all quality fabrics that still await more precise identification).73 Under the Fatimids and Ayyubids, the mercantile class indulged itself in many types of garments. The Geniza trousseaux mention almost seventy items for women alone, and not surprisingly more than half of these are veils and headgear. The Geniza has revealed the names and considerable data for more than two dozen garments which were hitherto unknown or only mentioned in isolated literary sources without any explanation or description. Among these are the jkniyya, one of the most ubiquitous items in the Geniza trousseaux, but not mentioned in any Arabic dictionary. The sole reference found so far to this robe in Arabic literature is from Ibn al-Jawz, who under events for the year 441 (1049-1050), mentions a woman taking off a brocade jkniyya she was wearing and donating it to help pay for the construction of the gate for the Qall"in Quarter in Baghdad. This sleeved garment which could be of linen, brocade, or silk, came in both simple and lavishly decorated versions. Its name may be derived from the Persian town of Juwakn, although Goitein, after initially reading the Judeo-Arabic form of the word as jkhniyya and deriving it from jkh, a type of fabric, later suggested that it may in fact be derived from jawkn, the game of polo, and got its name from resembling the cut of a polo jacket, which was a short coat with narrow sleeves.74 Another fine robe commonly found in Geniza trousseaux
73 For a summary of the new information on textiles from the Geniza, see Yedida K. Stillman, New Data on Islamic Textiles from the Geniza, Textile History 10 (1979), pp. 184-195; eadem, Textiles and Patterns Come to Life Through the Cairo Geniza, in Islamische Textilkunst des Mittelalters: Aktuelle Probleme, Riggisberger Berichte V (Die Stiftung: Abegg-Riggisberg, 1997), pp. 35-52. 74 For the extensive Geniza data on the jkniyya, see Y. K. Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 79-92. The story of the woman in Baghdad, see Ibn

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is the makhtma. It was made of costly fabrics such as brocade, siglaton, dabq, #attb, and various silks. It was sometimes designated as a special confection (#amal al-dri.e., spcialit de la maison). Although the name makhtma which means stamped would lead one to believe that it was originally, at least, a dress with a printed pattern, there are specific references to unpatterned (mumat) makhtmas. Although the only references to this garment are in the bridal trousseaux, there may have been a masculine form of the garment, since in one instance, the item is designated nisw (female) which might imply that there also existed one that was rijl (male). A number of garments that were worn by members of both sexes, as for example the ubiquitous thawb (the basic robe), the ghilla (the undershirt or chemise worn directly against the body), and the ma#raqa (skull cap which kept sweatArabic #araq, hence its nameand hair oil from staining the expensive headdress above it), are in fact specified at times as being nisw (also nis") or rijl.75 Other new items for the Fatimid period that appear in the Geniza are the #aqabiyya, #ar, mukallaf, and radda, all head scarves or shawls; and the kha and wasa, both belts or cummerbunds.76 In addition to new names of garments and textiles, the Geniza has provided an entirely new vocabulary of patterns and adornments. The lexicon of patterns was as rich as that of colors. The fabric of a garment might be described as mushahhar (ornamented with a border of a different color). It might be mu"lam (having only a simple border) or murayyash (with a fringed border). If a piece of fabric for a shawl or cloak had a single central color with a different color at each edge,
al-Jawz, al-Muntaam f ta"rkh al-Mulk wa l-Umam VIII (Beirut: Dar assakafa repr. of Hyderabad ed. 1357-1359), p. 141. For Goiteins early reading of jkhniyya, see his Mediterranean Society II, pp. 131-132, 444, 448, 456, and 459. For his later opinion that it should be read jawkniyya and be identified with a polo-jacket (or rather, short coat) style, see ibid., IV, pp. 453-454, n. 75. For an example of the polo-jacket which Goitein believes is the model for the jkniyya, D. and J. Sourdel, La civilisation de lIslam classique, illus. 141 (opposite p. 381). 75 Y. K. Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 97-98. For examples of designated masculine and feminine versions of these garments, see TS Box K 15, f. 99, II, l. 17; ULC Or 1080 J 142 I, l. 13; Bodl. MS Heb. e 98, f. 74, l. 10; TS K 15, f. 99, col. II, ll. 17-18; TS NS J 392, l. 11; Dropsie 402, l. 5; TS NS K 184, ll. 8-10. 76 Concerning these items, see Y. K. Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 100-102; 118-119; 120-123; 169-174; 179-188; 203-205; and 209-211.

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 59 it was designated muarrafthat is, like a horse whose head and tail are black and whose body is white, or vice versa.77 On the basis of the evidence in Geniza documents, stripes of various kinds seem to have been a common form of textile design. The cloth known as abar, ibara, and other variations, was by definition a striped cloth (see Pl. 11). One silk ulla (an ensemble consisting of several items) is described as having striping on it (makh #alayh). The fabrics of many Geniza garments are commonly designated as muzannar (decorated with belt-like bands). Yet another type of stripe which is mentioned in several trousseaux is called jr al-qalam (literally, the flowing of the pen). The name would indicate that this was a very fine stripe, perhaps almost a pinstripe. Examples of garments made of such a fabric from the Islamic Middle Ages with fine vertical stripes are known from manuscript illuminations (see Pl.12) and from actual surviving items of clothing.78 Stripes seem to have been much more popular in the Geniza period than spots. Textiles decorated with spots (mujayyar) are rarely mentioned. This is noteworthy since spotted fabrics for both clothing and upholstery are commonly represented in medieval Islamic art, including from the Fatimid period. It could be that the patterns represented in lustre ware pottery and other media were by Fatimid times a well established artistic convention that represented earlier modes of high fashion. Or perhapsand this seems much less likelyspotted patterns, such as the mu#ayyan mentioned by al-Washsh" for fashion plates in #Abbasid Baghdad, were still mainly reserved for the ruling elite and had not been adopted by the bourgeoisie (see Pl. 13).79 At least two common checked patterns are mentioned in the Geniza. The more common of the two, called mutakhkhat (literally, paneled),
77 Mushahar: TS Box J I, f. 29, II, l. 30; mulam: TS 13 J 6, f. 9v, I, l. 12; murayyash: TS 16.147, l. 6; muarraf: TS 13 J 3, f. 10c, II, l. 12. For muarraf applied to horses, see al-Zabd, Tj al-#Ars VI, p. 180. 78 For abar: ULC Or 1080 K 126, l. 17; also Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, p. 216; ulla makh #alayh: Firkovitch Collection (St. Petersburg) II 1700, f. 18b, I; muzannar: TS Box K 15, f. 100, I, l. 22; jr al-qalam: TS Box K 25, f. 171, I. l. 8; and for an example of a surviving tunic from the Islamic period with both fine stripes and with ornamented bands, see Coptic Museum, Cairo, inventory no. 2073. 79 For one example of mujayyar: TS 20.48, l. 22. For al-Washsh" and the mu#ayyan (literally like eyes), see above p. 46.

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may have been a small check similar to a plaid. Examples of garments with this pattern appear both in illustrated manuscripts and in surviving textile fragments (see Pls. 14 and 15). The other check, called sharanj (from sharanj, the Arabic word for chess) was a large simple checker-board pattern (see Pl. 16).80 The use of gold for decorating fine fabrics both for clothing and for furnishing was extremely popular in the medieval Muslim world and is amply documented in Geniza records and in Arabic illuminated manuscripts. From the Geniza, we know that a distinction was made between fabric gilded on the surface (mudhahhab), or embroidered with gold thread (muarraz bil-dhahab). Of the two techniques, the less expensive gilding wasunderstandably far more common. Another type of gold embroidery in the Geniza and which is also mentioned in literary sources is called zarkash. What distinguished the latter from muarraz bil-dhahab, however, is not as yet known.81 In addition to being decorated with gold, fine textiles (particularly for garments) might be set with jewels. This kind of decoration is called in the Geniza suls. Occasionally, part of a garmentsleeves particularlywould be adorned with jewels, such as pearls. Here again, the Geniza demonstrates how during the Fatimid and Ayyubid periods the bourgeoisie, including non-Muslims, avidly imitated the fashions of the ruling class.82 There is also considerable new information from the Geniza on garments already known. For example, the safsr and the barrakn, both mantles, which have been in attested use in the Maghreb from medieval to modern times, are shown to have been worn in Fatimid and Ayyubid Egypt as well.83 No doubt they were brought into the
For mutakhkhat: Bodl. MS Heb. f 56 (2821), f. 53, ll. 12-13. Gilded: TS Box J I, f. 29, II, l. 21; gold embroidered: TS Misc. Box 29, f. 29, l. 4; zarkash: TS 16.206, l. 13; and for the literary sources, see Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, pp. 8, 113, 118, and 150. Cf. the Andalusian fabrics worked with gold and silver mentioned in Olivia Remie Constable, Trade and Traders in Muslim Spain: The Commercial Realignment of the Iberian Peninsula, 900-1500 (Cambridge University Press: New York, 1994), p. 178. 82 Suls: ULC Or 1080 J 142, II, l. 3. For the root of this term, see Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes I, p. 673. 83 See Y. K. Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 42-43 and pp. 62-63; for medieval references see, al-Idrs, Nuzhat al-Mushtq f Ikhtir al-Afqq, eds. R. Dozy and M. J. DeGoeje (E. J. Brill: Leiden, 1866), pp. 56 and 125. For later
81 80

the evolution of the islamic vestimentary system 61 east after the Fatimid conquest in 969/358. The badan, a short, sleeveless tunic, worn by both sexes and usually associated with the Arabian Peninsula, is shown to have been a fairly common article of feminine attire in medieval Egypt too.84
references to the barrakn, see Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les arabes, pp. 68-71; and for the safsr, see Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes, I, p. 658. 84 For the badan, see Stillman, ibid., pp. 64-65; and Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les arabes, pp. 56-58.

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chapter three THE ARAB EAST UNDER THE TURKISH DYNASTIES OF THE LATER MIDDLE AGES AND EARLY MODERN TIMES: SALJUQS, AYYUBIDS, MAMLUKS, AND OTTOMANS

Several important trends become prominent in the Islamic vestimentary system during the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries. Among these are: (a) the diffusion of new garments from outside the system, (b) increasing social stratification reflected in clothing, and (c) the rigidification of the dress code for the dhimm subject population. Under the Umayyads and the #Abbasidswith the exception of certain ceremonial court costumesmany of the same articles of clothing had been worn by people across the entire social spectrum. The only difference, of course, was in the fabrics and decoration. There were not even special uniforms for soldiers until well into the Abbasid period when the Caliph al-Mu#taim instituted them for his Turkish praetorians.1

The Clothing of the Military lite The Turkish military dynasties that controlled one part or another of the Middle East from the late eleventh/fifth to the early sixteenth/tenth centuries brought with them many Central Asian styles, particularly in military and ceremonial attire. These, however, were in the beginning the distinguishing costumes of the military feudal lite. The fashion of dress of the native Arab population was little affected at first. M. V. Gorelik has attempted to distinguish between two broad complexes of dress throughout the Arab east at this timethe western, based on the fusion of Arabian styles with those
1 See Muhammad Manazir Ahsan, Social Life Under the Abbasids, 170-289 AH, 786-902 AD (Longman: London and New York, 1979), pp. 29 and 59-60.

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derived from Hellenistic Mediterranean prototypes, and the eastern, derived from Iranian, Turkish, and Inner Asian styles. Syria and Iraq during this period fell generally into the latter category, while Egypt, with the exception of the military, fell into the former.2 However, as already noted in the preceding chapter, this fusion of vestimentary systems was already taking place as early as the Umayyad period and had gained even more momentum under the #Abbasids. The only difference now was the Central Asian styles were becoming ever more dominant in Syria and particularly in Iraq. Throughout much of this period, the typical outer garment for a member of the ruling class was any one of a variety of coats (aqbiya). These were worn over the usual layers of undershirts, the most common of which was the qamjn which supplanted the ghilla which for centuries had been the most popular body shirt. The undershirt was normally hidden by the outer garments, except in southern Iraq where it was commonly cut long to extend below the coat above it.3 The Saljuqs and Ayyubids preferred the so-called Turkish coats (al-aqbiya al-turkiyya), the hem of which crossed the chest in a diagonal from right to left (see Pl. 17). The Mamluk amrs wore the Tatar-style coats (al-aqbiya al-tatariyya) with the hem crossing the opposite way. The flaps of the coat fastened with anchor buttons (azrr) or with little strings that tied in a bow (see fig. 1). Some coats (usually non-military ones) buttoned down the front with frog buttons or more rarely with strings that tied in a bow (see fig. 2).4 Over
2 M. V. Gorelik Blizhnevostochna Miniatyura XII-XIII vv. kak etnografichesky istochnik, Sovetskaya Etnografya 172:2 (1972), pp. 37-50. Gorelik only deals with the evolution of male attire during this period. 3 For a good example of the long body shirt protruding below the shorter coat on a young boy, see in addition to the illustrations in Gorelik, Blizhnevostochnaya miniatyura, the sources of which are not given, the illumination from a fourteenth-century Mamluk manuscript from either Syria or Egypt of al-\arrs Maqmt, Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, A.F. 9, folio 18b, reproduced in Dorothea Duda, Islamische Handschriften II, Tafelband (sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften: Vienna, 1992), Pl. 55. For an adult example of a body shirt extending below an adults three-quarters-length coat, see the fifteenth- or sixteenth-century manuscript illumination from perhaps Baghdad of al-Qazwns #Aj"ib al-Makhlqt, Nationalbibliothek, Vienna Cod. mixt. 331, folio 61a, in Duda, ibid., Pl. 119. 4 For good examples of the anchor ties beneath the arm, see the mid-fifteenthcentury manuscript of al- fs Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita, Bibliothque

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the coat was worn a belt of metal plaquettes (iya) (see Pl. 18) or a sash (band ) (see Pl. 17 and figs. 1-2). The latter was the girdle of the ordinary Mamluk soldier, whereas the former was the mark of high ranking officers. The iya was at first strictly a military belt. The Mamluk historian al-Maqrz identifies it with the ancient minaqa (see Chapter Two) and states that there was a special market in Cairo (known as sq al-aw"iiyyn) devoted to the sale and manufacture of these belts. Most aw"i were of silver, but some were of gold and even of jade ( yashm) The finest ones could also be set with precious stones and might cost several hundred dinars. Like so many other elements of Mamluk formal attire, belts varied in detail in accordance with the rank of the wearer. The belts for the highestranking amirs are described by al-#Umar (d. 1349/749) as having medial roundels (bawkir wus) between the upright plaques (#umud) as well as two side pieces (mujannibatn) studded with rubies, emeralds and pearls. From manuscript illuminations, it appears that the side pieces were sometimes suspended strips. A sword was normally worn girded on the left and a dagger (kizlik) on the right together with a black leather rucksack called a awlaq. A scarf (mindl) was tucked into the iya and hung over the awlaq. Yet another type of belt which is worn by a governor in full Turkish military attire in one of the medieval Maqmt illuminations is a thick braided belt. This kind of belt is rarely depicted and must have been of silk or metalic cord.5
Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5036, fols. 38 recto and verso; for frog buttons down front, ibid., fol. 43 verso; for tie strings in front, ibid., fol. 43. For men in nonmilitary straight-cut coats with frog buttons down the front, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5847, fol. 63 verso. 5 al-Maqrz, al Maw #i wa l-I #tibr bi-Dhikr al-Khia wa l-Athr (Blq: Cairo, 1853), pp. 99 and 217 (extensive passage from al-#Umar). al-Maqrzs lengthy passage on the iya is translated in R. P. A. Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms de vtements, (Jean Muller: Amsterdam, 1845), pp. 146-147. For a finely preserved specimen of the iya that had belonged to the Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, alMalik al-li Ism#l (ruled 1239-1245/637-643), see L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume: A Survey (Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952), Pl. IX; and for clear illustrations of ones in medieval manuscripts, see Nationalbibliothek (Vienna) A. F. 9, fol. 1, where the enthroned ruler on the frontispiece is wearing a gold iya around his inner qab; also Bibilothque Nationale(Paris) ms arabe 5847, fol. 19, where the left horseman in the famous end-of-Ramadan procession scene is wearing one. The illumination is reproduced in full color in Richard Ettinghausen, Arab Painting (Skira: Lausanne, 1962), p. 119. For a clear example of the suspended side-pieces

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In addition to the closed belted coats, there were also a variety of open coats (aqbiya mafta). According to Ibn Iys, these were among the luxurious innovations in dress that were introduced under Sultan al-Nir Muammad b. Qalwn (ruled 1293-94/693; 12991309/698-708; and 1310-1341/709-741). Fur-trimmed, patterned, and irz-banded open coats worn over military coats and civilian robes are clearly illustrated in manuscript illuminations from the Mamluk period (see Pl. 19 and 22).6 For members of the Turkish ruling classes, the sleeves of their coat were frequently indicative of rank and social status. The longer and more ample the sleeves, the higher the standing of the wearer. (The q of Alexandria, for example, is depicted with enormously wide sleeves in one of the Maqmt manuscripts in the Bibliothque Nationale in Paris.)7 It is for this reason, that one of the new discriminatory restrictions that was placed upon non-Muslims during the Mamluk period was that the sleeves of the garments had to be cut narrow (see Chapter Five below). During the Mamluk period, sleeves on the robes of the upper class were so long and ample that they entirely hid the hand of the wearer. It is for this reason that the wealthy young merchant in the Christian brokers tale in the Thousand and One Nights could astound his guest by eating with his left hand until he revealed from beneath his sleeve that the right hand had been cut off. The long, ample sleeve normally hid the wearers hands totally from view. Sleeves extending just below the wearers hands as well as sleeves of double arms length are frequently depicted in the illuminations of manuscripts of al-\arrs Maqmt dating from the thirteenth/seventh and fourteenth/eighth centuries (see Pl. 25b and 32). Figures are often shown standing with their hands modestly clasped in front of them, totally hidden within the sleeves. In one painting, men in the mosque are repre(in this case studded with silver roundels), see ibid., fol. 84 verso. For the braided belt, see ibid., 6094, fol. 130 verso. 6 See for example, Dorothea Duda, Islamische Handschriften II, Teil 1 [Die Illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der stereichischen Nationalbibliothek] (sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften: Vienna, 1992), Abb. 49, 61, 62, 63, 71, and 74. All are from al-\arr, Maqmt, Cod. A. F. 9. This manuscript was itself probably executed during the reign of al-Nir Muammad b. Qalwn. 7 Ms arabe 6094, fol. 27.

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sented with their sleeves totally pulled down over their hands as they are about to prostrate themselves in prayer.8 In keeping with the militarism of the Turkish ruling caste and its love of heraldry, blazons adorned their akhff (the plural more commonly used for khuff in this period), or boots. The blazons can be clearly seen on the the boots of several Mamluk figures on such inlaid bronze pieces as the famous Baptistre de St. Louis in the Louvre (Pl. 20). (Interestingly, although blazon appliqus seem to have been placed on all sorts of equipment such as banners and caparisons and painted on glassware, there is no indication that they were placed on clothing other than boots.) On the basis of the illuminated manuscripts from the period, boots were usually knee-length and most commonly of black, brown, or red leather, and might be tooled on the sides and have metal studs in front. Even higher boots appear extending midway up the thigh or going above the knee in front, but being cut just below the knee in back. The toe of the boot could be either pointed or round. Mamluk nobles wore decorative spurs (mihmz) over their boots, and those who were fief-holders in the royal guard were entitled to wear spurs of gold.9
8 The tale is in the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth nights and is part of the hunchback cycle. See Alf Layla wa-Layla I (Bulaq: Cairo, 1252), pp. 75-81. The incidents with the hand that is at first hidden in the sleeve is on pp. 76 and 80. The English translation is in Edward William Lane, The Arabian Nights Entertainment, or The Thousand and One Nights (Tudor Publishing: New York, 1939), pp. 128137. For examples of such sleeves in medieval illuminations, see also British Museum (London) Or. add. 22114, fols. 12 verso, 21, 59 verso, 61 verso, 76 verso, 78, and 175 (where all the members of the congregation are shown with both sleeves pulled down over their hands as they are about to prostrate themselves); Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) 3929, fols. 45, 56, 66 verso; and 103; ibid. 5847, fols. 56 (hands clasped in front totally hidden by the two sleeves) and 92. 9 al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 217. For examples of Mamluk blazons, see Tissus dEgypte tmoins du monde arabe VIIIeXVe sicles: Collection Bouvier (Muse dart et dhistoire: Geneva; Institut du monde arabe: Paris, 1993), pp. 296-299, nos. 190193. A finely preserved exampled of a Mamluk blazon, which actually came from the head-piece of a pack-animals caparison, is preserved in the Textile Museum, Washington, D.C. See the illustration in Patricia L. Baker Islamic Textiles (British Museum Press: London, 1995), p. 70. For an example of a horseman with red boots with tooling on the side and gold or brass studs in front, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3929, fol. 117, where a second rider is also depicted with unadorned black boots. In one manuscript of al-Qazwns #Ajib al-Makhlqt, Freer Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) No. 54.51 verso, there is an example of green boots, but this unusual example may be due to the fact that green is asso-

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Instead of boots, Mamluk (and presumably Saljuk and Ayyubid) soldiers and officials sometimes wore leggings (rn), which were strips of cloth wound around the lower leg from the ankle to the knees (see Pl. 21). As mentioned above in Chapter Two, rn were among the Irano-Central Asian articles of clothing that Arab warriors were forbidden to wear during the early days of the Muslim empire in order to maintain clear marks of differentiation between the Arab rulers and the subject population. Now, however, it was the Arabs who were the subjects of a ruling military elite that maintained its own vestimentary marks of distinction to separate itself from the natives.10 Special headcoverings were also marks of military status among the Saljuqs, Ayyubids, and Mamluks. The illustrations from the Maqmt, Kitb al-Aghn, and Kitb al-Diryq manuscripts from this period attest a very wide variety of caps and turban styles, including hats of Central Asian and Far Eastern origin. For example, two musicians playing before a Mamluk sultan are depicted wearing Mongol plumed and brimmed hats (see Pl. 22). The normal headgear of the military class was a stiff cap with a triangular front which in some instances appears to have been a metallic plaque. It was sometimes trimmed with fur and was called a sharbsh (see Pl. 23 which depicts a Saljuq atabeg wearing a sharbsh and irz qab" and also Pl. 19), and sometimes it had a small kerchief bound around it to form a sort of turban which was designated a takhffa. The sharbsh was absolutely de rigeur for an amr. The other most common cap was the kalawta which was usually yellow under the Ayyubids, yellow and red under the early Mamluks, and later red only. It also varied in shape, size, and quality throughout the centuries. Originally of wool, it later was made of finer fabrics shot with gold thread. Like the sharbsh, the kalawta was an official military cap and could also be worn with a takhffa wrapped around it. In fact it was so symbolic of the Mamluk military that
ciated with Paradise and that the boots in fact are being worn by an angel who wears a green robe and partially green wings. A color photo of this illumination may be found in Ettinghausen, Arab Painting, p. 178. 10 See Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3929, fol. 96 verso; ibid., ms arabe 5847, fol. 94 verso (Pl. 21); and ibid., ms arabe 6094, fol. 31.

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members of the group as a whole were sometimes referred to as the mukalwatn, just as they were referred to since Saljuq times as arbb al-suyf (masters of the sword).11 As with other items of the Turkish military wardrobe, the kalawta eventually came to be worn by members of the civilian population. A variant of the kalawta became a common cap for schoolboys much as military caps were common for students in Central and Eastern Europe in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (see Pl. 24). In one medieval illumination, a man in a crowd of people is depicted wearing a kalawta with ear flaps ending in straps that were tied beneath the wearers chin.12 Another hat that seems to have been popular during the Mamluk era was the sarqj. It was a high, pointed, conical hat of Central Asian origin with a brim that most frequently was turned up, but also could be turned down. The sarqj was usually white or a light tan. It could also be two-toned, with a light brim and a colored crown. The point of the conical crown could be plain or have a decorative metallic knob, pointed plaquette, tuft, or long plumes extending from it. The cone could be simple or paneled in vertical sections, and a colored takhffa might be crisscrossed around it with a brooch or plaquette pinned to the point where the cloth overlapped (See Pl. 19). From the manuscript illuminations, it would seem that most of the people wearing the sarqj were young Asian men with braided hair.13 The qab" and the sharbsh together were the essential uniform of a Muslim knight under the Ayyubids and Saljuqs and were usually
Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 28-29. See for example, Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 6094, fol. 167 (in which half the pupils are wearing Turkish caps and half are wearing turbans; Nationalbibliothek (Vienna) A. F. 9, fol. 170 verso (in which seven out of the ten pupils are wearing caps); also British Museum (London) 22114, fol. 170. In ibid., fol. 156 verso, the schoolboys are wearing a crown-like Turkish cap. For the cap with the unusual earflaps, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 6094, fol. 174. 13 For sarqj with upturned brim, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5847, fols. 30 verso and 31; for downturned brim, see ibid., ms arabe 2964, fol. 17; for decorative knobs and paneled sections, see ibid. 5036, fols. 38 recto and verso; and for one with a red takhffa with a brooch at the center of the crisscross, see Nationalbibliothek (Vienna) A.F. 10, fol. 1.
12

11

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part of the ceremony of investiture whereby the sultan conferred such a status on an individual soldier. Because these two garments were so much the distinctive uniform of an honorable knight in the Muslim world, even a Crusader was prepared to wear them as a gesture of friendship to al al-Dn.14 Under the Bar Mamluks, it was the qab" and the kalawta that were the essentials. And under the Burj Mamluks, it was the zam, or zan, together with the mala cloak that formed the basic uniform. The zam was a cap about which considerable scholarly ink has been spilled. It may well have been the shaggy headcovering described by some European travelers. Examples of shaggy caps, both low round ones and high busbylike ones, are depicted in Mamluk military manuals, such as the Kitb al-Makhzn Jmi# al-Funn of Nir al-Dn b. al-Tarbuls. The only sure thing is that it was normally red in color.15 Under the Mamluks, two popular short sleeved coats were the bughluq(also bughlq) and the sallriyya. These were made of a variety of fabrics and frequently were lined with fur. Such a coat was sometimes worn under an ample outer robe (farajiyya). Eventually, some of the garments which were at first the mark of the military aristocracy were imitated by the middle classes. The bughluq, for example, appears in several Geniza documents. Two different short, jacket-like coats, are illustrated in one of the Paris Maqmt manuscripts. One has short sleeves, and the other long sleeves (see Pl. 25). But it cannot be determined with any certainty that these

Ibn al-Athr, Kitb al-Kmil fi l-Ta"rkh XII, pp. 51-52. The debate is over the zams/zans identity is from Dozys time to his own is summarized with references in Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 32-33. On the basis of the description of the late fifteenth-century German traveler Dietrich von Schachten of a Mamluk cap, and in coordination with European paintings, Turkish miniatures, and a well-preserved cap in the Coptic Museum (Cairo), Mayer argues that the zam was a tufted or shaggy cap (see Mayer, Mamluk Costume, Pl. XI, no. 2). More recently, Duncan Haldane, Mamluk Painting (Aris and Phillips: Warminster, 1978), p. 29, has called the Mongol plumed hat with upturned brim worn by one of the musicians in the sterreichische Nationalbibl. Cod A.F. 9, fol. 1a (see Pl. 22) a zam, but this seems to be an arbitrary identification. For depictions of shaggy high and low caps, see al-Tarbuls, Makhzn Jmi# al-Funn, Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 2824, fols. 108 and 109 recto and verso (dated 1470/875); and ibid., 2826, fols. 108-109 (dated 1578-79/986).
15

14

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are the bughluq and sallriyya, and if they indeed are, then which is which.16 No discussion of the dress of the Mamluk military elite can omit mention of the notion of qumsh. The word first appears in the tenth/fourth century, although it does not seem to become common until the Mamluk period. In medieval and later written and vernacular Arabic (as well as Persian and Turkish) it merely designates woven stuff and was synonymous with the more classical terms bazz and thiyb. Additionally, qumsh also came to mean in Mamluk usage dress uniform. Sultan al-Nir Muammad b. Qalwn is credited with the formal introduction of the shsh wa lqumsh (turban cloth and formal coat) of the Mamluk warrior. Upon manumission and induction into the corps, a young Mamluk received his qumsh, his sword, and his horse. Putting on the qumsh (labisa al-qumsh) was equivalent to wearing khaki as opposed to wearing mufti. Just as modern militaries have various uniforms for season and occasion, so too did the Mamluks. There was a specific summer white uniform, or al-qumsh al-abya al-ayf, a service uniform, or qumsh al-khidma, a parade uniform, called qumsh al-rukb as well as qumsh al-mawkib, and an informal uniform, or qumsh al-juls. The qumsh must have been a fairly heavy coat. Mamluk soldiers are reported to have thrown it off together with their armor when fleeing a battlefield, and Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Qytby (ruled 1468-1496/872-901) is reported to have waived the obligation for it to be worn for ordinary palace service since it was too hot for much of the year in Egypt.17 Like other Islamic dynasties before them (and after them as well), the Mamluks made frequent use of the ceremonial bestowal of robes of honor. Robes were presented for all sorts of occasions. Just as there were robes for appointment to office (khil #at al-niyba, khil #at alwizra, khil #at al-istiqrr), there were also robes for reconfirmation in office (khil #at al-istimrr) and for honorable dismissal (khil #at al-#azl ), as well as for pardon after disgrace (khil #at al-ri).18 The presenta16 Both jackets are depicted in Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3929, fols. 68 verso and 104 (Pl. 25 a-b). 17 For the most extended discussions of qumsh and the sources, see Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 75-80; and N. A. Stillman, |umsh, EI 2 V, pp. 373-374. 18 For a full list of khila# which took their names from special occasions, see Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 61-62 and the sources cited there.

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tion outfit was often designated tashrf as well as khil #a and could consist of more than garments alone, including also arms and a fully saddled and caparisoned horse from the sultans own stable. In keeping with the military hierarchal nature of Mamluk society and its penchant for uniforms, there was a standardization of khila# according to social estate and rank within each of the three social estates (the military, the civil service, and the #ulam" ). In addition to this standardization, one of the most significant trends with regard to robes of honor that took place during the Mamluk period was the declining importance of irz inscriptions on the garments themselves. Gold, silver and silk embroidery remained important, but actual embroidered written formulas and texts decreased. (For a more detailed discussion of Mamluk khila# and irz garments, see Chapter Six.)

The Clothing of Other Strata of Society As noted at the beginning of this chapter, the increasing institutionalization of the Muslim learned classes and what has been referred to as Middle Eastern feudalization under the foreign military regimes resulted in greater social differentiation. Not only the dominant military caste, but the bureaucracy (the so-called arbb al-aqlm, or masters of the pen), the men of religion (al-#ulam" ), the notables (al-a#yn), the fs (ahl al-taawwuf ), the members of young mens associations (al-fityn), and the masses (al-#mma)all wore clothes, or certain articles of clothing, that identified their place in the highly stratified, well delineated, social order. Thus, for example, the aylasn which had been first a Persian garment, and then was worn by fashion plates in the heyday of #Abbasid Baghdad, became in this period the mark of qs and jurists (Pls. 6 and 7). (The venerability of the aylasn was even the subject of a treatise by the great fifteenth-century Egyptian scholar Jall al-Dn al-Suy.)19 The high, miter-like qalansuwa, which under the Umayyads had been a symbol of royalty, and under the Abbasids was fashionable
19 al-uy, al-Adth al-\isn f Fal al-aylasn, ed. A. Arazi (Magnes Press: Jerusalem, 1983).

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in Iraq and Iran, became in the later Middle Ages, the common head covering of dervishes. Ab Zayd, the trickster hero of alHarrs Maqmt, is frequently depicted in the manuscripts wearing a qalansuwa (usually a high one, or qalansuwa awla). Usually the qalansuwa was a simple cone, but it could also be cut to curve around the side of the face and to extend down the back of the neck (see Pl. 26). Sometimes the qalansuwa is worn alone, sometimes with a simple criss-crossed winding cloth (takhffa), and sometimes with a full turban cloth wrapped around it (see Pl. 14). In manuscript illustrations, the qalansuwa is represented in a variety of colors, including brown, yellow, grey, and red. There is even a depiction of a qalansuwa totally black in front and totally grey in back with a narrow red band on the lower back edge. Although the high qalansuwa had become the mark of mendicants and members of the demi-monde in the later Middle Ages, the lower version was still worn by people of substance and could be adorned for example with strings of pearls.20 A special style of trousers or pantaloons (sirwl or libs) was one of the sartorial hallmarks of the fityn. It has even been suggested by Oleg Grabar, the foremost specialist on the iconography of the Maqmt manuscripts, that perhaps some of the fityns distinguishing garments may have been satirized or at least reproduced in Abu Zayds garments. (see Pl. 26 and 27)21 Under the Mamluks, there was an extremely wide variety of headgear. High civil servants wore a turban called baqyr. The finest were of embroidered dimy linen (#amal dimy marqm), but they could also be of ar, a fine Alexandrian fabric which was most likely a linen.22
The qalansuwa appears so frequently in the Maqmt illustrations that it would be totally impractical to list them all here. However, for an example of a wealthy merchant with strands of pearls on his low qalansuwa, see Oxford Bodleian Marsh 458, fol. 51 verso. 21 See Claude Cahen, Futuwwa, EI2 II, p. 964; Patricia Lesley Baker, A History of Islamic Court Dress in the Middle East, (Ph. D. diss. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 1986), pp. 171-172. Oleg Grabar, The Illustrations of the Maqamat (University of Chicago Press: Chicago and London, 1984), p. 145. 22 See al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 228. For ar, Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 50; see R. P. A. Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes II, (Brill: Leiden, 1967) p. 31b. ar appears in only two Geniza trousseau lists from the late twelfth century
20

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While boots seem to have been the regular footwear of the military caste, civilians seem to have worn a variety of shoes (ni#l). The most common of these, if the manuscripts illuminations are any indication, were low black or brown slippers that resembled espadrilles. Another type was a pointed soft leather shoe which extended just above the ankles and then turned down or slightly rolled up (See Pl. 26). Boots to mid-calf length (what the French might call bottines) are also sometimes depicted in the manuscripts.23 Sandals had been worn in the Near East since ancient times and certainly were worn in the Middle Ages. But strangely enough, they appear only rarely in manuscript illustrations. The picaresque Ab Zayd appears in one such illustration shod in a simple flat sandal with a central cord from the ankle to the middle of the toes, two cords across the top of the foot, and two more cords across the side of the ankle (see figs. 3-4).24 As has been mentioned in Chapter One, already in Jhil and early Islamic Arabia, there were different styleswhich even had specific namesof draping ones mantle. From the many manuscript illuminations, it is clear that during the period of the Turkish military dynasties, there was the widest variety of draping styles for the many different types of wraps and mantles. For example, the rid could be worn as a cloak over both shoulders or draped togastyle over the left shoulder, while leaving the right arm entirely free (see Pl. 24). Or alternatively, the mantle could be draped over the right shoulder with the left arm bare. Since the only illuminated example of the latter draping is that of the trickster Ab Zayd, it is perhaps a sartorial representation of his roguish nature.25 Wraps such as the aylasn and tara of a q could cover the head and
(ULC Or 1080 J 142 II and TS 16.61), and in both instances as the fabric of a jkniyya. See Yedida K. Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt: According to the Trousseau Lists and Cognate Material from the Cairo Geniza (Ph. D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1972), p. 85. 23 These espadrille-like shoes are worn by men throughout the Maqmt manuscripts. 24 Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) 3929, fol. 76 verso. 25 For examples of draping over the left shoulder, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 6094, fol. 81 verso; Academy of Sciences Oriental Institute (St. Petersburg) S. 23, p. 229. For draping over the right shoulder, see Bibliothque Nationale ibid., fol. 124.

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fully envelop the wearers body, or hang down the back, or be crisscrossed at the chest in the so-called lm-alif style because of its resemblence to those two letters of the Arabic alphabet when they are connected in script (see fig. 5). A mantle could be held in place with a knot or clasp in front at the neck (see fig. 6). A short mantle could be worn crisscrossed over the shoulders and under the armpits, leaving the arms uncovered, and forming a sort of vest. Narrow shawls could be worn draped front to back to form a u across the chest with the ends hanging back over each shoulder. In the later Middle Ages, this seems to have been a mans style. However, dancing girls depicted in the ninth/third-century #Abbasid palace in Samarra, also are depicted wearing shawls in this fashion.26 The lower orders of society, naturally, wore much less and much simpler clothing. Paupers might wear only a waist wrapper (izr or akw) and a narrow mantle, with perhaps a low qalansuwa on the head. The mantle could be held in place merely by tying the ends into a large knot in front.27 Slaves on the auction block are shown with an absolute minimum of clothesusually just a white wrap around the waist or draped over the shoulders.28 Various physical laborers, such as carpenters, fishermen, dog handlers, and hunters are frequently depicted in manuscript illuminations clad only in a short, close-fitting tunic or belted coat that are either sleeveless or have elbow-length tight sleeves. Sometimes they have a cap which is most often of the low qalansuwa type, and sometimes they are bareheaded. Sometimes the thieves depicted in Kalla wa-Dimna manu26 For an example of a q completely enveloped, see British Museum (London) Or. 1200, fol. 112. For an example of a non-enveloping wrap covering only the head and shoulders, see Academy of Sciences Oriental Institute (St. Petersburg) S. 23, p. 236. For examples of the lm-alif style, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3929, fol. 50 verso; and Academy of Sciences Oriental Institute (St. Petersburg) S. 23, p. 250. For a q with his mantle clasped at the neck, see Nationalbibliothek (Vienna) A. F. 9, fol. 130 verso. For the mantle wrapped to form a sort of vest, see Oxford Bodleian Marsh 458, fol. 74. And for the shawl hanging across the chest with ends thrown back over the shoulders for men, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 6094, fol. 174; for women in Iraq, see Ettinghausen, Arab Painting, Appendix, p. 191, no. 6. 27 Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3929, fol. 54 verso; and for mantle tied with large knot in front, see ibid., fol. 42 verso. See also British Museum (London) or.add., fol. 76 verso (loincloth only). 28 Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5847, fol. 105.

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scripts are also depicted in this attire. Peasants working in the field are sometimes shown barechested and wearing only knee-length britches (either long tubbn or short sirwl) (see Pl. 28). The Arab poet al-Qum (died 728/110) specifically mentions the Nabateans (that is, the Aramaic-speaking peasantry) as being able to stand up to the heat of the sun wearing only their tabbn.29 One clear picture of a woman working alongside barechested men at the threshing floor with a large sieve in hand depicts her as clad only in sirwl and a sheer qam with tight elbow-length sleeves (See Pl. 28). People working outdoors sometimes are depicted wearing a low pointed, brimmed, sun hat which appears to have been made of straw.30

Female Attire Based on textual sources, it is difficult to discern major changes in female attire under the Turkish military dynasties of the later Middle Ages. The names and functions of feminine garments remain quite constant. But as Baker aptly points out: It seems unlikely that the design and appearance of such items remained static for four or five hundred years.31 The primary feminine undergarment was (despite the doubts of the great historian of Mamluk attire, L. A. Mayer as to its ubiquity) a pair of drawers which could be knee-length knickers (mi"zar) or longer pantaloons (sarwl), pleated or unpleated. Both the mi"zar and sarwl were often euphemistically referred to simply as libs, a usage which continued into the modern period.32 Arabic chroniclers and European travelers noted that women of the lite during the
29 The verses are cited in D. S. Rice, Deacon or Drink: Some Paintings from Samarra Re-Examined, Arabica 5 (1958), p. 26. 30 See for example Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3465, fols. 27 verso, 29 verso, 31 verso, 38, and 102 verso (all thieves, including perhaps a female thief in fol. 38); 33 (fishermen, one of whom is wearing a sun hat); 47 (carpenter); 84 (hunter); 122 (dog handlers). For the lightly clad woman working alongside barechested men at the threshing floor, see Bibliothque Nationale ms arabe 2964, fol. 22. 31 Baker, Islamic Court Dress, p. 177. 32 See, for example, Yedida K. Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry (University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, 1979), p. 18.

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first two centuries of the Mamluk period sported luxurious drawers, brocaded with gold and silver thread or studded with jewels. The wives of amirs and viziers sometimes possessed enormous collections of drawers in their wardrobes. The wife of the vizier Shams al-Dn Ms was reported to have owned no less than 400 pair (a medieval parallel to the shoe collection of Imelda Marcos), and the amir Aqbughs wifes collection was sold off for 200,000 dirhams.33 A fourteenth-century Italian pilgrim Simone Sigoli relates that he was told by his Muslim guide that the adornment of luxurious drawers could cost as much as 400-500 ducats (He, of course, would have no opportunity to actually see an upper class womans underdrawers).34 Even the tikka, or drawerstring could be bejewelled, or saturated with musk.35 During the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, it became fashionable among some women to wear their sarwl low, with the top drawn down well below the waistline. Thistogether with revealing, tightly fitted clothingshocked the prudish Mlik jurist Muammad b. al-\jj al-#Abdar.36 Mayers argument that these references to drawers seem to be exceptional and anecdotal, that they cannot be identified in many manuscript illuminations, and that they are not mentioned in trousseau lists is not convincing.37 Most references to clothing, and particularly to womens clothing, or even to women for that matter, are exceptional and for anecdotal color in Arabic chronicles. Most women in manuscript illustrations from the period are depicted entirely wrapped and veiled from head to toe, but there are illuminations that do reveal the sarwl. Lastly, undergarments, like shoes, are never mentioned in the Geniza trousseau lists for the sake of
33 Amad #Abd ar-Rziq, La femme au temps des Mamlouks en gypte (Insitut Franais dArchologie Orientale: Cairo, 1973), pp. 232-233. 34 Leonardo Frescobaldi, Giorgio Gucci, and Simone Sigoli, Visit to the Holy Places of Egypt, Sinai, Palestine, and Syria in 1384, Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, No. 6 (Franciscan Press: Jerusalem, 1948), p. 163. 35 Ibn Iys, Kitb Ta"rkh Mir al-Mashhr bi-Bad"i# al-Zuhr f Waq"i# al-Duhr I (Al-Maba#a al-Kubr al-Amiriyya: Cairo, 1893/1311), p. 92. 36 Ibn al-\jj, al-Madkhal I (Al-Maba#a al-Miriyya: Cairo, 1929), pp. 200201. 37 Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 70; idem, Costumes of Mamluk Women, Islamic Culture 17 (1943), p. 299.

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propriety, but tikak are mentioned, although not often. Indeed, these items are not usually shown in the ra (display of the trousseau) of brides in the contemporary Arab world.38 Together with the underdrawers, the chemise, or qam was also a basic element of female attire in the Mamluk period. The qam was normally long and ample, and ranged from light and gauzy to more substantial weight. One particular variety that came into vogue during the first half of the fourteenth/eighth century was the bahala. It trailed greatly over the ground and had enormous sleeves, three ells wide, which were emphasized to great advantage by the short-sleeved bughluq coat (originally a male, military garment) that was popularly worn over it. Prices for a luxuriously adorned bahala could reach as high as 1,000 dirhams. The flamboyance of the garment came to be considered scandalous enough that in 135051/751, the vizier Manjak issued an order that the sleeves should be cut and that such garments not be produced any more. The police were placed on alert. Some women were arrested. Images of women wearing the forbidden garment who had been executed were mounted on the ramparts of Cairo as a further deterrent. The decree was extended to Syria a short time later.39 Like many sumptuary decrees, Manjaks fell into desuetude within a generation. The wide sleeves came back into fashion, and in 1391/793, the Amr Kumushbugh issued an edict limiting the length of fabric that could be used in the confection of qumn and again severely limiting the amplitude of the sleeves. Troops were dispersed throughout Cairo to cut down sleeves that exceeded the legal limit. The newer shorter- and less amply-sleeved chemises remained in fashion for generations and were still called more than half a century later al-qumn al-Kumushbughwiyya. The sleeves of the this type of chemise supposedly resembled those of Bedouin garments.40
See Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 208 and 222. al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 322; Ibn Iys, Bad"i# al-Zuhr I, p. 193. For Syria, see the sources cited by #Abd ar-Rziq, La femme au temps des Mamlouks, p. 234, n. 5. 40 Ibn Taghrbird, al-Nujm al-Zhira f Mulk Mir wa l-Qhira V, ed. W. Popper (University of California Press: Berkeley, 1909), p. 541; Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les arabes, p. 374; Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 69; and #Abd ar-Rziq, La femme au temps des Mamlouks, pp. 234-235. #Abd ar-Rziqs
39 38

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During the fourteenth/eighth century, a shorter chemise, the qandra, that only went down to the knees came into vogue. Unlike the Andalusian and Maghrebi sleeveless chemise by this name, this one had elbow-length sleeves, which the Italian Sigoli describes as a good braccio (approximately two feet) in width. Interestingly, just as such very long qumn with ostentatiously trailing trains and enormous sleeves had aroused conservative sensibilities because of their inordinate length, so did the qandr because of what was perceived to be their immodest brevity. Like other contemporary feminine fashions, this too was condemned by the strait-laced Ibn al-\jj.41 As in earlier and later periods, female attire consisted of layers of various garments that depended upon season and whether one was indoors or out. The principal garment worn over the drawers and chemise was the all-purpose thawb, which was not a wrap, as Baker has called it, but rather a gown, usually with very wide sleeves.42 There is little information available as to its actual cut, and the brevity of the comments of both Mayer and #Abd ar-Rziq are indicative of this fact. Thirteenth-century Iraqi manuscript illuminations show women in close-fitting gowns or a wide-sleeved farajiyya which was an ample robe that came to just below the knees (see Pl. 29), but the paintings in Egyptian manuscripts from the Mamluk periodas already notedusually depict women fully wrapped and veiled, or at least in outer coats, and European paintings and engravings depicting Mamluk women depict them either
risqu note (ibid., p. 235, n. 4) that the sleeves of Mamluk womens chemises were so wide that husbands could have conjugal relations through them is taken from the seventeenth/eleventh-century Egyptian writer al-Shirbn, whose mocking anecdotes have been described as often more scatological than witty. See M. BenCheneb and P. Cachia, al-Shirbn, EI2 IX, p. 483. On the other hand, in a thirteenth-century Kalla wa-Dimna manuscript illumination, Bibliothque Nationale ms arabe 3465, fol. 102 verso, a naked man and woman are shown lying together inside a single robe in what perhaps might be the sleeve, and in a similar scene in ibid., fol. 104, the man has his left arm in one sleeve of the garment. 41 For qandra in medieval Andalusian and Maghrebi sources, see Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes II, p. 410a. For Sigolis observations, see Frescobaldi, Gucci, and Sigoli, Visit to the Holy Places, p. 163. For Ibn al-\jjs disapproval, see his, al-Madkhal I, pp. 201 and 241; and see also #Abd al-Raziq, La femme au temps des Mamlouks, p. 234, n. 5, citing Aqbugh al-Khsk, al-Tufa al-Fkhira f Khu rusm al-Qhira in manuscript. 42 Baker, Islamic Court Dress, p. 178.

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enveloped and veiled or not in clear detail. The Geniza trousseau lists are of no particular help either. Although they note a wide variety of fabrics and colors and sometimes indicate whether the garment is tailored (mukhayya) or untailored (ghayr musta#mal), they do not give specifics regarding cut or measurements.43 The thawb was normally full-length, but in the fourteenth/eighth century it also became short as part of the general craze for raised hemlines and elbow-length sleeves, which the ever-critical Ibn al-\jj notes as being a relatively recent innovation.44 Another outer robe was the jubba, which was certainly not a pettycoat, as Ashtor calls it (although the French words jupon and jupe and their cognates aljuba in Spanish and giuppa in Italian are certainly derived from it); although it is not clear whether at this time it was a gown or a coat-like garment.45 Women did wear coats (aqbiya). From the Geniza trousseaux we know that the bughluq, which as noted above was originally a short-sleeved coat of the ruling military elite, eventually became a garment for the civilian population and was worn by women as well. It was usually made of one form of silk or another and might have such adornments as silver buttons. Unlike the fabulously expensive garments of the ruling elite, the bughluq in the Geniza ranged in price from only two to six dinars.46 As in earlier periods, women wore a variety of compound headdresses consisting of one of a variety of caps, winding scarves, wimples, and bonnets. An early Mamluk illumination shows a female
Compare, for example, Bibl. Nat. (Paris) Ms. arabe 5847 (Schefer \arr), fol. 122v in Ettinghausen, Arab Painting, p. 121, and sterreichischen Nationalbibl. (Vienna) Cod. A.F. 9, fols. 25a, 44b and 141b in Duda, Islamische Hanschriften II, illus. 57, 63, and 82. For examples of European depictions, see the engravings from Arnold von Harffs Pilgerfahrt in Mayer, Mamluk Costume, Pl. XIV, no. 2; and #Abd ar-Rziq, La femme au temps des Mamlouks, Pl. VII. For the data from Geniza trousseaux, see Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 104-115. 44 Ibn al-\jj, Madkhal I, pp. 203. 45 Eliyahu Ashtor, Histoire des prix et des salaires dans lOrient mdival (S.E.V.P.E.N.: Paris, 1969), p. 348. See Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 77-78. Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 15, 52, et passim, mentions it only in a masculine context and identifies it with with the farajiyya and fawqniyya. 46 TS 16.206; TS 24.8; TS 24.28; TS Arabic Box 30, f. 1; and Cambridge University Library Misc. 28, f. 274. See Ashtor, Histoire des prix et des salaires, p. 349.
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lutinist entertaining a group of men in an indoor setting. On her head is a patterned cap over which is a sheer wimple (bukhnuq) tied in place by an inscribed irz headband (#iba). In another manuscript (Kalla wa-Dimna) from early thirteenth-century Baghdad, respectable women are frequently depicted in indoors scenes with unveiled faces, and wearing wimples held in place by either a metal or cloth #iba (see Pl. 30). The latter is in some instances worn at an angle rather than straight around the head and is referred to in literature as an #iba m"ila (Pl. 29).47 Early in the Mamluk period, an edict was issued forbidding women to wear turbans, although this probably means male-style turbans since women had worn and continued to wear compound turbanlike headdresses for centuries, all the way up to early modern times. Such a female #imma must have come into sudden vogue at the time. It certainly was not fashionable in the Fatimid, or Ayyubid periods and only occurs in a single Geniza trousseau list, despite the fact that headcoverings, including turban-like headdresses (for example, the kuwra and the mi#jar) are frequently mentioned.48 The adoption of male-style headgear, such as a certain type of qiyya, by Mamluk women is explained by al-Maqrz as an attempt to counter widespread homosexual passions of the elite and win back the hearts of their husbands. (Although in the same passage, al-Maqrz says that Circassians who had begun wearing ornate turbanless awq in public looked like women!) This was not the first time in medieval Islamic history that women crossdressed to attract men. In the early ninth/ third century, Sitt Zubayda created an entire corps of so-called girl-boys (ghulmiyya) to wean her son Caliph al-Amn from his homosexuality.49 The qiyya also came to be proscribed for women in an edict issued in 1426-27/830. It is
47 Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, A.F. 9, folio 42b in Duda, Islamische Handschriften II, Pl. 62; Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3465, fols. 39 and 130-132. 48 For the edict of December 1263/Muarram 662 and the debate on the permissibility of women wearing turbans, see Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 71. The only mention of #imma in a Geniza trousseau that I have seen is TS 16.32, l. 12. The word, however, is commonly found in Geniza documents in a masculine context. For the kuwra and mi#jar, see Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 137 and 142-144. 49 al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 104. Concerning the ghulmiyya, see Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes II, p. 225a.

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not clear whether the reason was because it was considered essentially an item of mens clothing, inappropriate for women or because with its padding, embroidery, and fur trim, it was considered isrf, or intemperate luxury, since there were awq that were worn by both sexes, particularly by young people.50 Another ornate cap similar to the qiyya worn by women as well as men was the kfiyya. From the descriptions given in the Thousand and One Nights, it was certainly far more ornate than an ordinary cap and seems to correspond more to the kfiyya worn by women today in Tunisia and Algeria. That is, it was a close fitting cap, often richly embroidered, with flowing ribbons or a scarf hanging down, and studded with semi-precious and even precious stones (see Pl. 31). Though not frequently mentioned, the kfiyya already appears in Geniza trousseaux from the late Fatimid and early Ayyubid periods.51 Women also wore a number of new and different hats that had come into the Arab world from Central Asia. One of these was the sarqsh, which was originally a conical hat with an upturned brim (called at that time sarqj). In the thirteenth century, it was worn by Tatar men, but seems to have gone out of fashion by the fourteenth century. In the fifteenth/ninth century it appears as a female headdress, which #Abd al-Rziq interprets to be a silk cap with short scarf. The sarqsh is mentioned in the edict of Sultan Qytby together with another headdress, the #iba muqanza#a, which had some sort of high tuft or crest. Women were forbidden from wearing either of these in public, and those caught doing so were publicly humiliated by the agents of the market inspector. Perhaps one

50 On the prohibition, see Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 72. On the awq and kawf (sing., kfiyya) worn by male and female youths, see al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 103. 51 See Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 135-136; Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 31 and 73; The Alif Laila or Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, ed. W. H. Macnaghten (Wm. H. Allen: London, 1839-1842), I, pp. 333, 596, and 833. For an illustration of a modern North African kfiyya, see P. Eudel, Dictionnaire des bijoux de lAfrique du Nord: Maroc, Algrie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine (Ernest Leroux: Paris, 1906), p. 118; also Georges Marais, Le costume musulmane dAlger (Librairie Plon: Paris, 1930), p. 112. The kfiyya is mentioned in TS 12.541 (dated 1083) and perhaps in ULC Or 1980 J 142 I (the word is only partially preserved).

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of the reasons for this edict, at least in the case of the sarqsh, was that here again was a case of proscribed crossdressing.52 Out of doors, women were entirely enveloped in a large izr and generally had their faces veiled from the bridge of the nose down with a qin# (or miqna#a), a lithm, or a harness-like burqu#. In manuscript illuminations, both the wraps and veils are generally depicted as white, with the only decoration being a lower border. Sometimes the veil is of sheer gauzy material that totally reveals the mouth and other features. Although frequently mentioned in the Geniza trousseau lists, the mask-like niqb, which was a dark band with two eyeholes (somwhat like the mask of the Lone Ranger), is rarely depicted in medieval illuminations. However, in one illustration from a thirteenth-century Iraqi Maqmt manuscript, most of the women seated in womens balcony of a mosque listening to a preacher are shown wearing the niqb (see Pl. 32). There was also a sac-like veil worn over the head with either eyeholes or the entire area above the nose and below the forehead cut out. These sac-like veils were kept in place by a cloth #iba (see Pl. 19).53 Judging from the many examples illustrated in the manuscripts, boots (khuff) seem to have been the common outdoor footwear for women. Womens boots could be long or mid-calf length. In some illuminations they are depicted curling up and back to a point over the toes. They could be decorated with gold stamping at the ankles.54
52 Concerning this edict, see Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 71-72; and #Abd arRziq, La femme au temps des Mamlouks, p. 238. #Abd ar-Rziq disagrees with Mayers identification of both these items; however, his identification of the #iba muqanza#a, or #iba muqanza#a, as a short scarf (un fichu court) seems unjustified. Not only does the word qanza#a still indicate a cocks comb or a tuft of hair in Arabic, but numerous hats and headdresses, some of which are specifically described as being high, are known from various parts of the medieval Arab world. See Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes II, p. 411 and the sources cited there. 53 See Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, A.F. 9 folios 25a, 44b, and 141b, in Duda, Islamische Handschriften II, Pls. 57, 63, and 82. For a woman in a sheer, dark faceveil below the nose (lithm), see British Museum (London) Or. 1200, fol. 154. For women wearing the band-like niqb, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5847, fol. 58 verso; for the sac-like over-the-head kind of veil with eyeholes, see Academy of Sciences Oriental Institute (St. Petersburg) ms S. 23, p. 288; and for the sac-like kind with the entire area over the eyes and eyebrows cut away, see Nationalbibliothek (Vienna) A.F. 10, fol. 1. 54 For women in long boots, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3929, fol. 38 verso; for curled pointed boots, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe

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One article of female attire that is never mentioned in the medieval sources, except in dictionaries, is quffzn, or gloves. Although the Arab lexicographers describe quffzn as being of skins, felt, or wool, stuffed with cotton, in the single illumination where a woman clearly appears to be wearing gloves they seem to be of a black mesh (see Pl. 32). The dictionaries make it clear that gloves were essentially an article of womens clothing. There was a mens quffz which is mentioned and which appears in Mamluk metalwork; namely, the glove worn by the falconer to protect his hand from his birds sharp talons.55

General Trends in Non-Muslim Dress The clothing of the non-Muslim minorities became even more distinct in this period. This was, on the one hand, part and parcel of the trend toward increased social stratification overall. But it was also due to a specific hardening of attitudes toward the non-Muslims which resulted in their increased social isolation and marginality. The ubiquity and minute detail with respect to sumptuary legislation for dhimms under these later medieval regimes bear poignant witness to how absolutely essential maintaining strict differentiation had become in comparison to earlier centuries. Everywhere in the late medieval Islamic world, some sort of badge (usually called ruq#a in the Middle East and shakla or shikla in the Maghreb) became the norm for all non-Muslims. In Mamluk Egypt, dhimms were so-to-speak
2964, fol.15; for black boots with gold stamping at the ankles, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5847, ninth maqma. 55 For the references to quffz in the classical dictionaries, see Edward William Lane, An Arab-English Lexicon (Williams and Norgate: London, 1867), VII, p. 2551. Since taqaffazat bil-inn" means to to stain the hand with henna (literally, to glove the hand with henna), conceivably the woman in Pl. 32, could have an allover henna design on her hands rather than gloves, but this is unlikely since most of the illustrations of women with henna-stained hands do not follow this pattern and are indicated in reddish hue similar to that of henna, rather than black as in this instance. For representations of falconers with a single gloved hand, see D. S. Rice, The Seasons and the Labors of the Months in Islamic Art, Ars Orientalis 1 (1954), pp. 27, fig. 9 (the famous Baptistre de Saint Louis) and 30, fig. 14 (basin in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London).

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color coded by their outer garments. Christians were required to appear in public in a blue, Jews in yellow, and Samaritans in red, and sartorial details such as the size of their headgear and the cut of their sleeves all became subject to special legislation. (For details see Chapter Five.)

The Ottoman period (to early modern times) As far as the costume history of the region is concerned, the Ottoman conquest of the Arab East in the early 16th/10th century marked a continuation of the preceding period, rather than an abrupt change. Ceremonial and military dress remained Turkish. Some Ottoman fashions were adopted by members of the urban lite, as for example, the Turkish-style qafn for men and the long, tightly-fitted coat known as the yelek for women (see Pl. 33). Turkish synonyms came into common use for certain items of clothing alongside, but not necessarily replacing, the native Arabic equivalents (for example, aqshr and shintiyn for sirwl and yashmaq for burqu#). But on the whole, Arab styles and Arabic terminology prevailed. The vestimentary system remained essentially the same. Outside of the principal, metropolitan seats of administration, distinct regional styles predominated. These regional distinctions were of minor differences in cut (for example, sleeves, opening for the neck, ampleness, and length) and not-so-minor differences in decorative details such as embroidery, color, fabric pattern, fastenings, trimming, etc., rather than in the basic garments themselves. The extent of the fine details in variation in basic costumes throughout the Ottoman East in the last century is apparent from the important photograph album of Hamdy Bey and M. de Launay, Les costumes populaires de la Turquie en 1873(see Pls. 33 and 34).56 Regional distinctions wereand this remains true today in those places where traditional costumes are still wornmost striking in female attire. Mens clothing was more or less uniform throughout much of the Middle East during the Ottoman period. This was due in part to the fact that men were physically and socially more mobile
56

Constantinople, 1873.

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than women and came to have a more pan-Middle Eastern style of dress. Thus when a plate from E. W. Lanes Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (London 1836) appeared in a book on Syria with the added caption A Syrian gentleman with pipe and inkwell, ca. 1860, (see Pl. 35) the inaccuracy was in actuality only minor. However, in Arab lands outside the Ottoman orbit, such as Sharifan Morocco, Zaydi Yemen, and among the Bedouin of Arabia, mens clothing remained distinctively regional.

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chapter four THE MUSLIM WEST: NORTH AFRICA AND MEDIEVAL SPAIN

The Muslim West, called in Arabic simply al-Maghreb (the West), which in the Middle Ages included Spain and Sicily as well as North Africa, belongs generally to the Arabo-Mediterranean vestimentary system, whose common unifying factors are rectangular tunics and loose outer wraps. Within this system, however, there has always been a great deal of regional, ethnic, and socio-economic variation. The Maghreb has been noted since the time of the Arab conquest in the second half of the 7th/1st century for its own particular styles in dress, as in other aspects of material culture. The reasons for this can be conveniently summarised as follows: (1) the physical distance of the Maghreb from the Muslim-Arab heartlands; (2) the indigenous Berber element, which always remained strong; (3) in the case of Spain, the large native Iberian population and the propinquity of Christian territory; (4) the absence of the Persian ktib class; and (5) the very late arrival of the Turks in Tunisia and Algeria (and their total absence from Morocco). Since much of the information concerning medieval Arab costumenomenclature, style, customs and institutionsapplies to the Maghrebi centres of urban culture in the Middle Ages, this chapter will deal only briefly with this period, concentrating on the uniquely Maghrebi aspects of its costume history. Most of the chapter will deal with the period extending from the later Middle Ages to modern times, or approximately the last 700 years, which, it should be pointed out, has been the subject of more study than that devoted to Middle Eastern costume history for all periods combined. Pre-Islamic foundations of Maghrebi costume When the Arabs conquered North Africa, Punic and Byzantine influences were still alive in the cities and towns. The countryside may

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also have had some Punic elements, but was overwhelminglyif not exclusivelyBerber. Even in Classical times, North Africa was noted for its distinctive style of dress. Greek and Roman authors considered the natives to be barbarians because they wore only an animal skin draped over the left shoulder covering the front and back. Garments of soft leather reminiscent of fill, the soft leather from goatskin named for the Tafilalet region in southeast Morocco (which in European languages is called simply morocco, maroquin, etc.) were also mentioned as being worn, and indeed, some archaeological remnants have been found.1 Both this simple style of draping and the use of leather garments continued among the Berbers well into modern times. The most striking feature of North African clothing in Roman eyes was the flowing, unbelted tunic. Roman and Byzantine sources mention the uncinched tunic frequently and in the same attributive way that they note the trousers of the European and Asiatic barbarians. Thus, for example, Virgil speaks of hic nomadum genus et discinctos Mulciber Afros (Aeneid VIII, 724), and Corippus, the 6th-century poet of the Byzantine reconquest, says even more explicitly: Nec tunicae manicis ornant sua brachia Mauri/Insita non ullis stringuntur cingula bullis/Distinctique . . . (Johannidos II, 130-2). The basic Maghrebi tunics such as the Tunisian qmajja, the Algerian #abya, and the Moroccan gandra all fit this type. Though ample and uncinched, the tunics of the pre-Islamic period seemed to have been short, not falling below the thigh. Similar short, simple garments were common in Berber areas such as the Moroccan Rf and the Algerian Mzb into the early 20th century. Another distinctive feature of North African attire which continued to be a hallmark of Maghrebi style in the Islamic period is the hooded cloak, called burnus (berns) in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and silham and akhnf and less commonly bernus in Morocco (see Pl. 36). Gsell sees the origin of the burnus in the sagum, the simple wool cloak worn by the Roman legionnaire. E. F. Gautier points to an even more similar Roman garment, the paenula, a travelling cloak to which a hood (cucullus) was generally attached. Philologically, the word bur1 See Stphane Gsell, Histoire ancienne de lAfrique du Nord, 3rd ed. (Hachette: Paris 1928), pp. 22-38, where numerous sources are cited.

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nus is probably derived from Greek and Latin birrus.2 The term burnus, as has already been noted in Chapter One, existed in early Islamic Arabia, where it usually designated a bonnet, but may also have indicated a hooded cloak. The North African burnus-cloak was palpably different. When the Arabs invaded the Maghreb, they distinguished between two great Berber groups, whom they called the Barnis and the Butr. William Marais, in direct response to Gautier, has suggested very plausiblyalbeit with cautionthat these names might reflect not genealogical or ethnic groups, but rather physical appearance; i.e., those Berbers who wore hooded garments (barnis), and those who wore short garments (butr), most likely without hoods.3 The ubiquity of burnus in the Maghreb may originally have been due to the fact that the Berbers in Antiquity and for the first few centuries under Islam wore no caps or headcloths. Furthermore, some Berbers shaved all or part of the head.4 One last distinctive feature that may be traced back to pre-Islamic times is the large wrapping cloth used as an outer garment by both men and women (albeit in quite different ways) from Libya to Morocco. This wrap which is known by various names, the most common in Arabic being "ik, ks", and barrakn, and in Berber a#aban, akhui, afaggu, taaykt, and many others. Gsell suggests that this primitive garment has its origins in two wraps commonly worn in Roman North Africa, the lodix and the stragula. The poet Corippus speaks of the rough wrap which the natives of North Africa wore thrown over the shoulder and enveloping the arms (Horrida substrictus dependens stragula membris/Ex umeris demissa iacet . . .). Ibn Khaldn also says that most Berbers wrap themselves with a kis" that is thrown over the
2 Gsell, Histoire ancienne de lAfrique du Nord VI, pp. 24-26; E. F. Gautier, Le pass de lAfrique du Nord: les sicles obscurs (Payot: Paris 1952), pp. 148-149 and fig. 3; Siegmund Fraenkel, Die aramischen Fremdwrter im Arabischen (Georg Olms: Hildesheim 1962; repr. of Leiden 1886), pp. 50-51, where an interesting connection is made with sagum on p. 51, n. 2. 3 Ibn Khaldn, Kitb al-#Ibar wa-Dwn al-Mubtada" wa l-Khabar f Ayym al-#Arab wa l-#Ajam wa l-Barbar VI (Blq: Cairo, 1284), p. 89; William Marais, Les Sicles Obscurs du Maghreb dE.-F. Gautier, Articles et confrences de William Marais (AdrienMaisonneuve: Paris 1961), p. 74. 4 Thus e.g., Ibn Khaldn, Kitb al-#Ibar VI, p. 89; wa-ru"suhum fi l-ghlib sira; Gsell, Histoire ancienne de lAfrique du Nord, pp. 16-18, for classical sources; and also Ibn Khaldn, ibid. VI, p. 89: wa-rubbam yata#hadnah bi l-alq.

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shoulder (yashtamilna l-amm" bi l-aksiya). Later European travelers from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century also took note of this rather incommodious fashion.5 In Islamic times, the ancient Berber wrap came to be associated with its Arabian counterparts, the izr, milafa, etc. Insofar as it was used as a veil for women, it overlapped with eastern fashions, and sometimes the names of the Arabic counterparts were adopted and Berberized. Thus, the milafa became the tamelaft and the izr became the tzr. However, it seems clear from the sources and from the modern witness that the Maghrebi mans enveloping wrap was, and remained, quite different in the way it was draped from Middle Eastern ones. (For examples of Maghrebi draping styles, see Pl. 37.)

Maghrebi Costume during the Early and High Middle Ages The Arabs looked upon the Maghreb as a colonial territory even more than they did the conquered lands of the Middle East. There was almost nothing in the cultures of North Africa or Spain to command even their grudging respect or to stimulate a desire for emulation. They therefore adopted little or nothing from the native costume during the first century or so of their rule. The fashion of the urban lite was Arab. A childs tunic dating back to the earliest Islamic period which is now in the possession of the Bardo Museum in Tunis is very similar to garments from the same time in the Coptic Museum in Cairo.6 The 10th/4th-century geographer al-Muqaddas observed that Maghrebis dressed in the Egyptian fashion (wa-bi l-Maghrib rusmuhum miriyyathat rusm here refers to custom in dress is clear from the continuation of the text).7 The many references to clothing in Ifrqiya (medieval Tunisia) collected by H.
5 Gsell, Histoire ancienne de lAfrique du Nord, p. 29, n. 6; Corippus, Johannidos II, 134; Ibn Khaldn, Kitb al-#Ibar VI, p. 89. For European travelers, see Georges Marais, Le costume musulman dAlger (Librairie Plon: Paris, 1930), pp. 25-30, where numerous sources are cited. 6 See M. Fendri, Un vtement islamique ancien au Muse du Bardo, Africa 2 (1967-1968), pp. 241-71. 7 al-Muqaddas, Asan al-Taqsm f ma#rifat al Aqlm, ed. M. J. DeGoeje (Brill: Leiden, 1906), p. 239.

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R. Idris for the 10th-12th/4th-6th centuries correlate fairly well with what is known of Middle Eastern attire during that period. Thus, for example, the qam and the ghilla were the main body shirts, and the jubba and durr#a the main robes. Both sirwl and mi"zar were common forms of underwear. The principal headcovering for men of the urban upper class was the #imma, while the commonfolk more customarily wore either a qalansuwa or a shshiyya. Women wore over their qam a variety of robes including the thawb, the jubba, or a patchwork dress known as the muraqqa#a, and they veiled their face with the miqna#a. The only items that were distinctly Maghrebi were the kis", which was used by both sexes, the kurziyya (from Berber takerzt) which was a simple winding cloth used by men for the head, and aqrq (sing. qurq), native cork-soled sandals which were worn by men and women.8 According to al-Muqaddas, in the Maghreb even the traditional Arab rid" was worn draped like a kis" or burnus.9

Medieval Andalusian Attire The early Umayyad amr s in Spain tried as best they could to maintain the material culture of Syria, and it may be safely assumed that the dress of the small Arab lite and their epigones (musta#ribn) during the eighth/second and ninth/third centuries remained generally faithful to the styles of the Damascus caliphate. The newer Islamic styles with their oriental influences became the fashion of the upper classes when the Iraqi singer Ziryb, arrived from Baghdad at the court of Cordova in 822/207, where he established himself as the Andalusian Petronius. He was not only the arbiter elegantiarum in regard to the cut, color, and fabric of clothes, but established the proper season for each outfit.10 It was he who estabH. R. Idris, La Berbrie Orientale sous les Zrdes II (Adrien-Maisonneuve: Paris 1962), pp. 594-600. Concerning the kurziyya, see R. P. A. Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les arabes (Jean Mller: Amsterdam, 1845), pp. 380-2; for aqrq, see ibid., pp. 362-363; idem, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes, 3rd ed. 2 vols. (Brill: Leiden, 1967) II, p. 334; and Idris, op. cit., p. 597; cf. Sp. alcorque. 9 al-Muqaddas, Asan al-Taqsm, p. 239. 10 al-Maqqar, Naf al-b f Ghun al-Andalus al-Rab [Analectes sur lhistoire et la littrature des Arabes dEspagne] II (Brill: Leiden, 1861), p. 88, citing Ibn \ayyn.
8

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lished the jubba as the standard robe for both sexes. One eastern fashion which only took limited root in Spain was the wearing of the turban (#imma), which was reserved mainly for the Mlik jurists (fuqah" ). Bare heads or heads crowned with a red or green wool cap (ghifra) were commonplace for much of the Spanish population of all classes. Most of the figures that appear in the genre scenes on carved ivory pyxes from Umayyad Spain appear to be bareheaded (see Pl. 38).11 The qalansuwa and the aylasn were also in vogue after the arrival of Ziryb. The last #$mirid jib #Abd al-Ramn Sanchuelo increased his already great unpopularity in 1009/399 by ordering courtiers to give up their colorful, embellished high qalansuwas (qalnisihim al-iwl al-muraqqasha al-mulawwana) which had been for ages their status symbols (tjnahum) and to wear turbans in the style worn by the Berber military. This particular style was soon abandoned when two months later his rule came to its violent end. However, turbans began to become more widespread during the period of the so-called Party Kings (1009-1090/399-483) with North African styles coming into vogue under the Almoravids and Almohads (1090-1145/483-540 and 1172-1223/568-620). Judging from the illuminations in the \adth Bay wa-Riy, a thirteenth-century manuscript from either Spain or Morocco, there were a variety of turbans worn at this time. They included a very large ovoid turban, usually of colored cloth, which was worn somewhat askew (see Pl. 39), a turban of average size and rounded shape, of white cloth with a long hanging tail (dhu"ba) behind, and rounded turban of intermediate size and of colored cloth with what appears to be a pointed cap protruding through the crown (see Pl. 40). All of the turbans in the manuscript have a rectangular, gilded irz band, which is on the dhu"ba of one and on the front, off center to one side above the forehead on the others.12 The turban remained the headgear required by protocol at the Narid court in
For additional examples, see e.g., Jerrilynn D. Dodds (ed.), Al-Andalus: The Art of Islamic Spain (Metropolitan Museum of Art: New York, 1992), pp. 193-206, items 3-5 and 6; E. Khnel, Islamic Art and Architecture (Cornell University Press: Ithaca, N.Y. 1966), Pl. 12a; W. M. Watt and P. Cachia, A History of Islamic Spain, (University of Edinburgh Press: Edinburgh, 1965), Pls. 5 and 7. 12 The manuscript is in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican) ms. arabo 368.
11

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Granada until the fall of that last Andalusian Muslim dynasty in 1492.13 There was with the passage of time considerable intermingling of styles between the Christian North and the Muslim South. The Spanish peasants frock, sayo, in Ar. shya (from Lat. sagum) was commonly worn in the countryside. Soldiers wore a scarlet cape, called qab", similar to that worn in Christian territory. Though a homonym for the ubiquitous Persian coat worn in the Middle East, the Andalusian qab" was obviously derived from Spanish capo or capa (whence the English cape) and not from Persian.14 Oriental fashion progressively gave wayperhaps as a partial corollary to the Reconquistato a uniquely Andalusian style or cut (tafl). By the 13th/7th century, an Easterner in the turban and robes of the Levant was regarded as a curiosity.15 It is interesting to note that although Muslim women in Spain wore the various veils used in the Middle East, such as the khimr, burqu#, miqna#a, and izr, they were not always too strict about it. The poet al-Ramd saw the beautiful Khalwa at the Bb al-#Arn, a popular gathering place for women in Cordova, and fell in love with her at first sight. Although she was unveiled, he did not know whether she was slave or free. The roguish poet of zajal (verses in the vernacular), Ibn Quzmn, tells of a married Berber woman he met and with whom he had an affair. She is described as wearing only a diadem or fillet (tj) on her head (see Pl. 39). The wearing of tijn, or crowns and diadems of various sorts remained part of festive dress in the Andalusian urban society of Morocco until modern times. In the \adth Bay wa-Riy, manuscript, the wealthy mistress of the house is invariably depicted wearing a chiseled golden crown (see Pls. 41 and 42). Jurists complain of the heretical innovation among the common people whereby a man allows his wife or fiance to unveil in front of someone other than an immediate male relative. This laxity may have been due to the influence of the large non-Muslim popu13 Ibn #Idhr, al-Bayn al-Mughrib f Akhbr al-Andalus wa l-Maghrib III, ed. E. Lvi-Provenal (Dr al-Thiqfa: Beirut, n.d.; repr. of Paris, 1930), p. 48. 14 For the shya, see E. Lvi-Provenal, Histoire de lEspagne musulmane III (Maisonneuve et Larose: Paris, 1967), p. 425; and Dozy, Vtements, pp. 212-213; for the qab" see Lvi-Provenal, ibid, p. 429; and Dozy, ibid., p. 360. 15 Lvi-Provenal, Histoire de lEspagne musulmane III, p. 429.

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lation or of the considerable Berber element, or both. Even women who were normally veiled would bare their faces when in mourning. In fact, a handbook for judges and market inspectors from twelfth/ sixth-century Seville stipulates that hawkers should be kept out of cemeteries to prevent their ogling unveiled women. Perhaps, too, the apparently less strict veiling practices of al-Andalus reflect what some scholars have believed to be the freer, less secluded position of women there than in the Middle East.16

The Berber Empires and their successor states Middle Eastern influences in Maghrebi dressas in other aspects of material culturedeclined greatly from the late 11th/5th century onward. Indigenous Berber and Spanish influences became stronger than ever. The major factors in the increasing Berberization and Andalusianization were the rise of extensive Berber empires that united the Maghreb with what remained of Muslim Spain. This occurred at a time of growing isolation, when the Arab East was coming under the rule of Turkish military rgimes with their own language, customs, and style of dress (see Chapter Three) and when the arteries of communication between Maghreb and Mashriq, though by no means cut, were not as smooth as in preceding centuries, because of the war, instability, and the overall decline of Muslim sea
16 For some of the veils worn by Andalusian women, see for example, Henri Prs, La posie andalouse, en Arabe classique au XIe sicle, 2nd rev. ed. (Adrien-Maisonneuve: Paris, 1953), pp. 179, 180, and 329. For al-Ramds encounter with Khalwa, see Ibn \azm, awq al-\amma, ed. \asan Kmil al-ayraf (al-Maktaba alTijriyya al-Kubr: Cairo n.d.), pp. 22-23. For Ibn Quzmn and the Berber girl, see J. T. Monroe, Hispano-Arabic Poetry (University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1974), pp. 264 (Eng. trans.) and 265 (Ar. text). Monroe translates tj as garland, but either a diadem or fillet is more likely. For the jurists complaint, see Ibn #Abd al-Ra"f, Risla f db al-isba wa l-mutasib, R. Ari, Hespris-Tamuda, 1 (1960), p. 32. On the custom of going unveiled during mourning, see Prs, op. cit., p. 103; also Ibn #Abdn, Risla fi l-qa" wa l-isba, trans. E. Lvi-Provenal, Sville musulmane au dbut du XIIe sicle: Le trait dIbn #Abdun (G.P. Maisonneuve: Paris, 1947), p. 59, para. 53. For a review of the scholarly debate on the relative freedom of women in Islamic Spain, see Mara J. Viguera, Aluu li l-Ma#l: On the Social Status of Andalus Women, in The Legacy of Muslim Spain II, ed. Salma Khadra Jayyusi (Brill: Leiden, New York, and Kln, 1994), pp. 708-724.

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power. Lastly, the urban centers of high culture in Ifrqiya which had set the fashion for much of North Africa were in ruins after the invasion of the Ban Hill and Ban Sulaym Bedouin in the second half of the eleventh/fifth century.17 Further west, Morocco was a center of power and Spain a center of culture. Once united, they would become the focal point of style for the rest of the Maghreb. The rise of the Almoravids paralleled in a sense a contemporary phenomenon in the East. They were a non-Arab ruling lite who wore their own distinguishing uniform. They dressed in Saharan Berber fashion, and are described as being untouched by Mediterranean civilisation, knowing no agriculture and never having eaten bread until it was brought to them by Muslim traders.18 The main feature setting the Almoravids apart from their subjects was their face veil (lithm) which masked the lower half of their face), hence their nickname of al-mulaththamn, or those who wear the lithm. Ibn Khaldn notes that many Saharan people were mulaththamn even in his own day.19 The style was essentially the same as that of the modern Tuaregs (see Pl. 43). Almoravid dress was not for the subject population, just as Mamluk and Il-Khanid military attire was not for their subjects either. In fact, Ibn #Abdn in his isba manual (for the use of market inspectors) warns against permitting even the other Berbers in the service of the Almoravids to wear the lithm in the streets of Seville because of the fear it struck in the population. He does allow non-Almoravid Berber militia men to use either a khimr or a mi"zar, or other similar veils if they must cover their face. The same applies to mercenary troops and weapons bearers.20 The Almoravids also wore the #imma and berns. There were some
17 See the observations of Ibn Khaldn on the destructive nature of Bedouin Arab conquest on sedentary civilization in his Muqaddima (Qsim Muammad alRajab: Baghdad, n. d., repr. Beirut, 1900), pp. 149-151; Franz Rosenthal, tr., The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History (Pantheon Books: New York, 1958), vol. 2, pp. 302-305. 18 Ab #Ubayd al-Bakr, Kitb al-Mughrib f Dhikr Bild Ifrqiya wa l-Maghrib, ed. M. de Slane (Imprimerie du Gouvernement: Algiers 1857), p. 164-165; also Ibn Khaldn, Kitb al-#Ibar VI, p. 181. 19 Ibn Khaldn Kitb al-#Ibar VI, pp. 197-198f. 20 Ibn #Abdn, Sville musulmane au dbut du XIIe sicle: Le trait dIbn #Abdun, pp. 6163, para. 56.

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Andalusians who donned these items in order to ingratiate themselves with their new masters, even though their own compatriots laughed at them.21 However, it is interesting to note that Mudejars (Muslims permitted to remain in the Christian kingdoms of the early Reconquista are depicted even in the century following the Almoravids as wearing turbans, both with and without the tank) (see Pl. 44). The Andalusians found little to copy from the Almoravids. However, the latter found a great deal worthy of emulation in Spanish civilisation. Under Almoravid rule, Andalusian culture spread into Morocco together with, certainly, Andalusian fashions. This movement of styles across the Straits of Gibraltar mainly from north to south would continue under the Almohads and in varying degrees under their successors. The rise of the Almohads had a more direct and lasting influence on Maghrebi costume history. The Mahd Ibn Tmarts (died 1130/ 524) puritanism extended to matters of dress. His biographer al-Baydhaq relates that on his return home from the East, the Mahd upbraided the people of Bijya for wearing sandals with gilded laces (al-aqrq al-zarrriyya) and turbans not in the Muslim fashion (#am"im al-jhiliyya), and for men wearing fatiyyt, which was apparently a tunic, open or slit in front, normally for women.22 The prudish Mahd had to cover his face when passing adorned and unveiled female laban (cultured sour milk) vendors in the streets of Tlemcen.23 His full wrath was heaped upon the Almoravid rulers themselves. In the Friday mosque of Marrakesh, he called the veiled amr and his retinue veiled slavegirls (jawr munaqqabt). When he encountered the princess al-ra unveiled as was customary among Almoravid women, he reprimanded her so severely that she went crying to her brother the amr.24 Like all Berbers, the Almohads wore the burnus (also burns) and the

21 Ibn al-Abbr, al-\ulla al-Siyar", in R. Dozy, Recherches sur lhistoire et la littrature de lEspagne pendant le moyen age I, 3rd ed. (Brill: Leiden; Maisonneuve: Paris, 1881) p. LI. 22 al-Baydhaq, Ta"rkh al-Muwaidn, ed. in E. Lvi-Provenal, Documents indits dhistoire almohade (Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner: Paris, 1928), p. 52, Ar. text and glossary, pp. 241-242, s.v. 23 Ibid., p. 61. 24 al-Baydhaq, Ta"rkh al-Muwaidn in Documents indits, pp. 61 and 68; Ibn Khaldn, Kitb al-#Ibar VI, p. 227.

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kis". They normally wore the form of turban known as kurziyya.25 Under the \afids, who ruled the eastern Maghreb from 1229-1574/ 627-982 as the heirs of the Almohad tradition, the descendants of the great Almohad families wore the aylasn with the ends criss-crossed in front like the Arabic letters lm-alif.26 It was not long, however, before the early Almohad simplicity in dress gave way to the luxuries of al-Andalus. The \afids bestowed magnificent robes of honor (khila# saniyya) upon their favorites following the practice of most Islamic rulers.27 From the Almohad period onwards, veiling for women was more strictly observed throughout North Africa and Muslim Spain. The Almohads also instituted one of the most unusual applications of the laws of ghiyr. Suspecting the sincerity of the large number of Jews who had converted to Islam under duress, the caliph Ab Ysuf Ya#qb (reigned 1184-1199/580-595) ordered that all these neophytes should wear particularly bizarre distinguishing clothing, the details of which are discussed below in Chapter Five. It may be considered part of the Almohad heritage that in Morocco, the heartland of Almohadism, throughout the later Middle Ages and until modern times, the dress code for Jews was one of the most strictly applied in the Muslim world. There were no great changes in Maghrebi fashion with the passing of the Almohads. The \afids in Tunisia, the Zayynids in Algeria, and the Marnids in Morocco, were all in a sense successors rather than supplanters of the Almohads. The information on Tunisian dress culled by Brunschvig correlates well with what is known from the preceding period. Local names for special varieties of garments appear more frequently now, as for example, barrakn, the heavy wrap for men and the safsr, the light wrap for women. Both are mentioned as being commonly worn in Tunisia, and both are known from earlier centuries as well.28
al-Baydhaq, Ta"rkh al-Muwaidn, pp. 72-72. Robert Brunschvig, La Berbrie Orientale sous les \afides des origines la fin du XV e sicle II (Adrien-Maisonneuve, Paris 1947), p. 278. 27 al-Marrkush, Kitb al-Mu#jib f Talkh Akhbr al-Maghrib, ed. R. Dozy (Brill: Leiden 1881), pp. 175, 184, 230. 28 Brunschvig, La Berbrie Orientale sous les \afides, pp. 276 and 280. Concerning these garments in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, see Y. K. Stillman, Female
26 25

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Leo Africanuss description of clothing worn in early sixteenth/ tenth-century Fez also shows considerable continuity in the general outlines:
The inhabitants of Fez, by whom I mean the nobles, are truly distinguished people. In winter they wear clothing of imported fabric. Their attire is composed of a very close-fitting jacket with half sleeves, which is worn over the shirt. Over the jacket, they wear a large robe stitched in front. Over this they put the burnus. On the head, they have a cap like certain ones worn at night in Italy, but without ear flaps. On these caps they place a turban of linen that is wound twice around the skull and passes under the chin. They wear neither high nor low hosiery, but rather linen pantaloons. When they wish to go horseback riding in winter, they wear boots. The ordinary people wear the jacket and the burnus, but without the robe, and on their heads nothing except for one of these inexpensive caps. The learned doctors and gentlemen of a certain age are accustomed to wearing jackets with large sleeves like Venetian gentlemen do who occupy the highest professions. As for the people of the lowest social order, they are clothed with a white cloth of unrefined local wool, and their burnus is of the same cloth. The women are very well dressed. In hot weather, however, they wear only a chemise cinched with a rather ugly belt. In winter, they wear robes with large sleeves, stitched in front like the mens. When they go out, they wear pantaloons of a length to cover all their legs and a veil in the fashion of the women of Syria, which covers their head and their entire body. Their face is likewise covered by a piece of linen so that only the eyes are exposed. They wear large, round earrings of gold set with beautiful gemstones. They also have gold bracelets on their wrists, one on each arm. These commonly weigh one hundred ducats [approximately 350 grams]. Women who are not of the nobility wear silver, and they also wear them on their ankles.29

The jacket (which could well mean a longer coatlike garment) worn by both sexes mentioned by Leo Africanus is probably the qafn, and the robe over it a farajiyya or fawqiyya (see figs.7-8). The womens enveloping wrap is the ubiquitous "ik, and the piece of linen veiling the entire face below the eyes is the lithm.
Attire of Medieval Egypt: According to the Trousseau Lists and Cognate Material from the Cairo Geniza (Ph. D. Diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1972), pp. 4243 and 62-63. 29 Jean-Lon Africain, Description de lAfrique I, trans. A. paulard (Adrien-Maisonneuve: Paris 1956), pp. 207-208.

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Clothes are mentioned by the Marnid historian Ibn al-Amar in connection with the popular Moroccan belief in baraka, the blessedness of a charismatic individual. The Amr #Abd al-\aqq b. May was considered by the Zanta Berbers to be a possessor of baraka and a mujb al-du#" (one whose prayers are answered). His qalansuwa and sarwl would be sent to women in difficult labor to ease the travail of birth.30 With the passing of the Almohads, the Muslims of al-Andalus for the most part abandoned the turbans they had worn briefly now and again during the previous century of Berber rule. According to the fourteenth/eighth-century geographer al-#Umarand this observation is confirmed by other writersit was rare to find anyone with a turban. According to al-#Umars contemporary, Ibn al-Khab, turbans were only commonly worn in Granada by shaykhs, qs, scholars, and Arab militia.31 Multi-coloured garments were popular in post-Almohad al-Andalus. The wealthy wore garments of the fine gilded silk (al-washy al-mudhahhab) produced in Almeria, Murcia, and Malaga or special silken clothes (al-libs al-muarrar) called mulabbad mukhaam (felted, checked) made in Granada and Basta.32 Rachel Ari has noted that fashions of the neighboring Christian kingdoms already influenced the mode of Andalusian dress in the early days of the Nasrids. The sayo (Ar. shya) mentioned above was worn not only by peasants, but even by the Nasrid monarch when out riding. The marlota (Ar. malla), a sleeved outer garment whose precise details are vague, and the capellar (Ar. qbillr), a hooded cloak shorter than the burnus, were among the new fashions.33

30 Ibn al-Amar, Rawat al-Nisrn f Dawlat Ban Marn (al-Maba#a al-Malikiyya: Rabat, 1962/1382), p. 15. 31 al-#Umar, Maslik al-Abr f Mamlik al-Amr, Gaudefroy-Demombynes (Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner: Paris 1927), pp. 234 and 235. Ibn al-Khab, alIa f Ta"rkh Gharna, cited together with al-Maqqar and others in ibid., p. 234, n. 4. 32 al-Maqqar, Analectes, I, p. 123. 33 Rachel Ari, LEspagne musulmane au temps des Narides (1232-1492) (. de Boccard: Paris, 1973), pp. 382 and 386.

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The basic outlines of Maghrebi costume remained quite constant from the end of the Middle Ages up to and well into the period of colonial domination. Certain new fashion elements were brought into the region by the Turks in Tunisia and Algeria and by the Moriscos and Sephardic Jewish refugees from Spain in these countries and Morocco as well. Most of the clothing innovations which were introduced by the Sephardim, the Andalusian Muslims, and the Turks remained particular to their own ethnic group. Thus, for example, the jala (Spanish giraldetta), a whirling skirt, was worn in Morocco only by Jewish and Andalusian women.34 In fact an entire outfit based on late fifteenth-century Spanish prototypes became the standard wedding and festive dress of urban Moroccan Jewish women. This outfit, known in Arabic as the kiswa al-kabra, or great costume, and in \aketa (the Judeo-Spanish dialect of Northern Morocco) as el traje berberisco, or the native dress, consisted of the jala skirt, a blouse, a jacket or corselet called qumbayz (diminutive of later Arabic qumbz, Classical Arabic ghunbz) with detachable sleeves as was common in Europe at the time, an embroidered frontpiece, called uzha (from Arabic wajh) or ktef, and a wide sash, called izm (see Pls. 45 and 46).35 This majestic outfit struck many of the European travelers who visited Morocco over the centuries and was the subject of vivid descriptions in their accounts. It was also captured in paintings and drawings by European artists such as Eugne Delacroix and Alfred Dehodencq.36
34 All of the various components of this costume had Judeo-Spanish names as well as the Arabic ones. See also Yedida K. Stillman, Hashpa#t Sefardiyyt #al haTarbt ha-\mrt shel Yehd Marq, in The Sephardi and Oriental Jewish Heritage, ed. I. Ben-Ami (Magnes Press: Jerusalem, 1982), pp. 361-362 and Pls. 1-4. 35 Yedida K. Stillman, The Costume of the Jewish Woman in Morocco, in Studies in Jewish Folklore, ed. F. Talmage. (Association for Jewish Studies: Cambridge, Mass., 1980), pp. 350-351 and 366-370, Pls. 10-14. 36 See, for example, the description given by the English physician William Lempriere, who was in Morocco during the year 1789-1790. William Lempriere, A Tour from Gibraltar to Tangier, Sallee, Mogodore, Santa Cruz, Tarudant; and thence, over Mount Atlas, to Morocco: Including a Particular Account of the Royal Harem, &c., 2nd ed. (J. Walter: London, 1793), pp. 203-204. The kiswa kabra is also described by Lemprieres contemporary Romanelli. See Samuel Romanelli, Travail in an Arab Land, trans. by Yedida K. Stillman and Norman A. Stillman (University of Alabama Press: Tuscaloosa, 1989), p. 66. For depictions by Delacroix, Dehodencq and others,

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Another example of a item of clothing that remained with the ethnic group that brought it to North Africa is the high, brimless hats known as arr and arra in Algeria. The miter-like hats which were somewhat reminiscent of the qalansuwa awla of the Middle Ages were part of the uniform of the Turkish military lite, and as late as the eighteenth/twelfth century, the Turkish-style dulband, or turban, was not permitted to native North Africans.37 The Turkish-style turban, called in Algerian Arabic, #imma mubarraja, was however permitted to religious officials such as qs and muftis (see Pl. 47). Nevertheless, Ottoman modes of dress did make themselves felt in the urban centres of Algeria and Tunisia. The jaleco (Turk. yelek) was very popular in Algeria, and the high, split cone, metal head piece, known as the rma, became a general fashion for women in Algeria and Tunisia.38 Likewise, the jabadl, or jabadr, a short coat brought by Jews and Andalusians fleeing Christian Spain and Portugal became widespread in the cities of Morocco and Algeria. In Morocco, this garment which enjoyed wide popularity among Muslims and Jews was manufactured exclusively by Jewish tailors.39 Most remarkable is the conservative nature of draping patterns in mens clothing, which as we have seen go back to the world of Antiquity. Also interesting to note is the widespread use of fibulae to fasten garments. The Maghrebi fibula, called bzma, khellla, kitfiyya, and in Berber tabzimt, tizerzay, and tazerzt, has been shown to go back to Antique prototypes (see Pl. 48).40
see Aviva Mller-Lancet and Dominique Champault, La vie juive au Maroc (Israel Museum Catalogue no. 103: Jerusalem, 1986), pp. 246-253 and in numerous plates throughout the catalogue. 37 Georges Marais, Le costume musulman dAlger, (Librairie Plon: Paris, 1930), pp. 53-58. 38 Ibid., pp. 116-119, and Pls. XXIX, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV. 39 See Louis Brunot, Noms de vtements masculins Rabat, in Mlanges Ren Basset, (Publications de lInstitut des Hautes tudes Marocaines X: Paris, 1924) I, pp. 97-98. 40 H. Camps-Fabrier, Lorigine des fibules berbres dAfrique du Nord, in Mlanges Le Tourneau = ROMM nos. 13-14 (1973), pp. 217-230.

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chapter five THE LAWS OF DIFFERENTIATION AND THE CLOTHING OF NON-MUSLIMS

The Origin and Evolution of the Pact of #Umar and Ghiyr in the Early Islamic Centuries

The great Islamic conquests of the seventh and early eighth centuries brought enormous numbers of non-Muslim, non-Arab peoples under the rule of what came to be known as the Dr al-Islm, the Domain of Islam. The conquering Arabs found themselves a tiny minority in an empire that stretched from Central Asia to the Atlantic. According to the precedent established by the koranic injunction (Sura 9:29) to fight unbelieving People of the Book (i.e., Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians) and by the Prophets dealings with Christians and Jews in Arabia, the Muslim Arabs accepted the surrender of peoples of the scriptural faiths on condition that they become humble tribute bearers. The details of tribute and rules of humility were only regularized over time and eventually formed the basis of a theoretical treaty or writ of protection between non-Muslims and the Islamic state called the Pact (and also the Stipulations) of #Umar. The Pact supposedly was drawn up by the second caliph #Umar b. al-Khab. and perhaps was even based upon several of the agreements of surrender drawn up with the Christians of Syria and Palestine and more particularly the surrender agreement extended by #Umar to Sophronios, the patriarch of Jerusalem. However, most scholars agree that many of the refinements and stipulations spelled out in the Pact actually date from nearly a century later, from caliphate of the Umayyad #Umar b. #Abd al-#Azz, who in addition to personal piety and austerity was also known for his generally hardline attitude toward nonMuslims many of whom he dismissed from the civil service. The treaty stated inter alia that in return for protection of life and property and the right to worship unmolested, the protected peoples (ahl

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al-dhimma or dhimms) had to pay their tribute, behave with the demeanor of a subject population, not bear arms, ride horses, nor in any way try to resemble the overlords, including in matters of dress. A number of these restrictions had a two-fold purposefirst, a military or security purpose, and second, that of establishing a social hierarchy. Both purposes, however, required visibly differentiating the overlords from their subjects. At first, this was easy enough to observe since Arabs and non-Arabs generally did not dress alike in any case, and the Arabs settled mainly in their own separate enclaves, the amr. But more and more people began converting to Islam and as a general Islamic fashion began to develop throughout the caliphate, and as Islamic law came to be expounded, it became necessary to stipulate just what differentiation meant. Clothing in a sense became the medieval equivalent of the dhimms alien residence card within the Islamic state, just as the bar"a, of receipt for the annual payment of the poll tax (jizya) was the equivalent of his passport.1 With regard to clothing the Pact of #Umar states:
We shall not attempt to resemble the Muslims in any way with regard to their dress, as for example, with the qalansuwa, the #imma, sandals, or parting the hair (in the Arab fashion). . . . We shall not engrave our signets in Arabic. . . . We shall always adorn ourselves in our traditional fashion. We shall bind the zunnr around our waists.2

Beyond the injunction not to try and look like Arabs, it is not clear what specific provisions might go back to the early documents of surrender. Nor is there much in the way of written evidence for specific dress restrictions during the entire Umayyad period. But then, it should be borne in mind that all of the Arabic written sources except for some early papyridate from after the time of the Umayyad downfall. The earliest clear legal sourceand indeed one of the earliest Islamic legal treatisesdealing with dress restrictions for dhimms comes from the reign of Hrn al-Rashd. It is the Kitb al-Kharj (Book of
1 For a succinct discussion of this subject, see Norman A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands: A History and Source Book (Jewish Publication Society: Philadelphia, 1979), pp. 24-28. 2 al-ursh, Sirj al-Mulk (n.p.: Cairo, 1872/1289), pp. 229-230, as translated in Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, pp. 158-159.

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Taxation) of the Chief Q Ab Ysuf (died 807/192). Despite the title, the book deals with more than taxation and covers public policy, criminal justice, and many related subjects. One chapter is devoted to The Dress and Attire of the Ahl al-Dhimma. The chapter reiterates the principal that no dhimm should be allowed to resemble a Muslim in his manner of dress, his mount, or his appearance. Furthermore, all non-Muslims should be obliged to place the zunnr around their waists. This belt is defined as looking like a thick cord. Dhimm headgear should consist of a qalansuwa of checkered patchwork (muarraba). After these generalities applying to all nonMuslims, Ab Ysuf turns to more specific sartorial restrictions applying to Christians. He quotes from a letter written by #Umar II to one of his governors, concerning Christians, many of whom worked in the bureaucracy at that time. No Christian should wear a qab", a garment of khazz silk, or an #ab turban. These items were, of course, standard dress in official circles during the #Abbasid period, and it is likely that the injunction is aimed at Christians in Ab Ysufs own day. In the letter quoted by Ab Ysuf, the caliph chides his governor for ignoring Christians under his jurisdiction who had gone back to wearing turbans, had abandoned distinguishing belts, and adopted luxuriant as opposed to short clipped hairstyles. Whether or not #Umar II actually wrote such a letter (Ab Ysuf does not actually have the text, but has been told about it by someone who heard about it from his father), it is clear that the chief q is admonishing his own caliph not to overlook such infractions by dhimm members of his own entourage and civil service.3 The great jurists concern that the laws mandating physical differentiation of non-Muslims from Muslims, especially in the upper echelons of society, were often ignored was well grounded. Hrns own Christian physician, Jibr"l b. Bukhtsh# is reported to have persuaded the caliph to rescind a decree (one of many such periodic decrees throughout the course of Islamic history) issued in 806/191 strictly enforcing the laws of differentiation on the non-Muslim population of Baghdad. Jibr"ls son, Bukhtsh# b. Jibr"l, who himself was a court physician under Hrns grandson, al-Mutawakkil, wore
3 Ab Ysuf, Kitb al-Kharj (al-Maba#a al-Salafiyya: Cairo, 1382 A.H.), pp. 127-128.

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luxury clothing like any high-placed Muslim courtier. He had a jubba of washy silk reported to have cost 1000 dinars.4 Pious complaints against the ostentation of non-Muslim officials are a recurrent theme throughout Arabic literature. Muslim rulers particularly in later times often in a show of piety issued decrees renewing the laws of ghiyr either at the beginning of their reigns or in times of social or political stress. As already noted in Chapter 2, al-Mutawakkil issued such a decree in 850/235 in which he commanded that in addition to the traditional zunnr, dhimms wear honey-colored outer garments, buttons on their qalansuwas, and badge-like patches on their servants clothing. This was the beginning of a long tradition of differentiating by color. It reflected the fact that people throughout the Muslim world wore a general Islamic fashion which had integrated the elements of the different vestimentary systems that had existed previously. The colors and badges changed over time and place, but the principle remained the same. From time to time attempts were also made at legislating stylistic differences as well, such as sleeve length, turban size or even type of headcovering, types of footwear, etc. Al-Mutawakkils decree enforcing restrictions on non-Muslims may be seen as part of his overall attempt to win popularity, to garner support from the Traditionalists, and to break free of the Turkish praetorians by establishing his orthodox credentials. The decree was part of the same policy whereby he broke with the Mu#tazilite theology which had been official #Abbasid doctrine since the caliphate of al-Ma"mn, and destroyed the shrine at Kerbala, which was a center of Shi#ite pilgrimage.5 The ninth/third century may well have been a turning point when the attitude of Islamic authorities began to crystallize and harden with regard to ghiyr, or differentiation of non-Muslims from Muslims with respect to dress. Perhaps this was due, on the one hand to the evolution and development of the shar#a, or Muslim law within the Islamic legal schools, and on the other, to the by-now vast numbers of conversions and the arabization of the population at large, which
al-Qif, Ta"rkh al-\ukam", ed. J. Lippert (Dieterich: Leipzig, 1903), p. 102. Hugh Kennedy, al-Mutawakkil #Al llh, EI 2 VII, p. 778; and idem, The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates (Longman: London and New York, 1986), pp. 169170.
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made it ever more difficult on the street and in the marketplace to tell who was and who was not a Believer. Far away from Iraq and the central heartlands, sometime during the ninth century, Amad b. lib, the Mlik q of Qayrawan, the capital of Aghlabid Ifrqiya, issued an order for dhimms to wear a patch (ruq#a) of white fabric on the shoulder of their outer garments. The patch for Jews had the image of an ape and the patch for Christians the image of pig.6 The imagery which became standard throughout the centuries in antidhimm propaganda and polemic when referring to Jews and Christians, respectively, was based on two passages in the Qur"n. In Sura 2:65 and 7:163-166, Jews were reportedly metamorphosized into apes for desecrating the Sabbath, and in Sura 5:60, those cursed by Allah (Jews and Christians according to many Muslim exegetes) are transformed into apes and swine. As with the decree of al-Mutawakkil and so many other periodic decrees throughout the Middle Ages, it is not known how long Ibn libs humiliating decree remained in force. One thing, however, is clear, and that is that now in the Maghrebi case, the purpose of the patch was not merely ghiyr, or shakla (also shikla, i.e., a sign) as it was more commonly called in North Africa, but also dhull (humiliation) in keeping with the koranic injunction (Sura 9:29) that the non-Muslims should be humbled.7 Ninth-century North Africa was not the first instance of zoomorphic marks being used as identifying badges. Both Christian and Muslim sources report that during the caliphate of Hishm every Christian in Umayyad Egypt had a brand or tatoo (wasm) in the form of a lion on their hands without which they could not transact any business. Failure to wear the sign of the lion could result in amputation of the hand.8
6 H. R. Idris, Contribution lhistoire de lIfriya. Tableau de la vie intellectuelle et administrative Kairouan sous les Aglabites et les Fatimites (4 premiers sicles de lHgire) daprs le Riyd En Nufs de Ab Bakr el Mlik, REI 9 (1935), pp. 141-143. 7 In addition to the classic passage that states that dhimms should pay tribute while (or because) they are in a state of humiliation (wa-hum ghirn), the Qur"n (Sura 2:61) also specifically singles out the Israelites, the ancestors of the Jews, as having humiliation and wretchedness stamped upon them by God (wa-uribat #alayhim al-dhilla wa l-maskana). For an example of referring to Jews as apes, see for example Ab Isq of Elviras poetical attack on Samuel b. Naghrla in N. A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, p. 214. 8 al-Maqrz, al-Maw#i wa l-It#ibar bi-Dhikr at Khia wa l-Athr (Blq: Cairo,

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Zoomorphic badges for non-Muslims reappear for a brief time under the mad Fatimid caliph al-\kim (disappeared 1021/411) who imposed in addition to black clothing or a black zunnr (the sources differ on the specific details) for Jews and Christians, ordered that Jews should wear a wooden medallion in form of a calf (an allusion to the sin of the golden calf). In the bath house, where people wore only an izr around their loins, and hence would normally be indistinguishable, Christians had to wear a heavy iron cross around their necks and Jews a bell in place of the calf pendant. Once again, these marks of differentiation clearly also served the dual purpose of identification and humiliation as did the requirement for dhimm women to wear boots (sarmz) of two different colorsone red, one black when going outdoors.9 These regulations supposedly remained in force for nine years. The fact that the specific duration is mentioned in the Arabic sources would seem to indicate that this was an unusually long period of time. However, in marked contrast to al-\kims decree closing or destroying the churches and synagogues of the empire, no reference to the sumptuary laws have so far been found in the documents from the Geniza which led Goitein to conclude that the clothing restrictions were probably short-lived.10 Whatever the actual length of time that these laws were enforced, they were clearly an exception to the general laxity of the Fatimid dynasty with regard to the discriminatory laws prescribed by the shar #a for members of the tolerated confessional communities. Around the same time that al-\kim was issuing his decrees, his vassals, the Zirids, in the Maghreb were apparently not enforcing any dress code, at least not for members of the dhimm lite in the viceroyal entourage. According to one account, the Nagid Ibrhm b. #A", who was personal physician to the Viceroy al-Mu#izz b. Bds,
1853), II, p. 493; Severus ibn al-Muqaffa#, Historia Patriarcharum Alexandrinorum, ed. C. F. Seybold (L. Durbecq: Louvain, 1954), p. 145. 9 A. S. Tritton, The Caliphs and Their Non-Muslim Subjects: A Critical Study of the Covenant of #Umar (Humphrey Milform and Oxford University Press: London, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, 1930), p. 120 and the sources cited there in nn. 2-3. See also, Stanley Lane-Poole, A History of Egypt in the Middle Ages (Frank Cass: London, 1968; repr. of 4th ed. of 1925), p. 127. 10 S. D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society (University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1967-1988), II, p. 286.

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was mistaken for a Muslim while delivering a message from his master to the great Mlik scholar, Ab #Imrn al-Fs, due to the fact that he was dressed like any other courtier and wore no distinguishing badge. The zealous scholar and jurist was so incensed when he realized that the Ibn #A" was Jewish, that right then and there he placed a distinguishing stain on the Jews turban and threw him out of his presence.11 In Islamic Spain at this time, there is no clear evidence attesting to whether or not the rules of ghiyr were imposed upon the dress of non-Muslims. Ibn \azm in his polemic against the Jewish vizier of Granada, Samuel b. Naghrla, accuses the latter of having removed the mark of abasement (al-aghr) from around his neck, but whether this refers to an actual badge or is merely figurative is by no means clear.12

The Trend Toward Stricter Enforcement and Regularization Poltical and social turmoil, the rise of military lites, and the pressure of new agression from the Christian world in the late eleventh and throughout the twelfth century, combined to harden Muslim attitudes toward the dhimm population. This in turn resulted in calls for stricter enforcement of the laws of ghiyr. The handbook for market inspectors in Almoravid Seville from the early twelfth century specifically states:
No individual among the tax collectors, constables, Jews and Christians should be allowed to dress in the clothing of the nobility, nor that of a jurist, nor that of a person of good standing; rather, they should be abhorrent and shunned. . . .A distinctive sign ought to be imposed upon them which would insure their being recognized and which would constitute for them a mark of ignominy.13
11 H. R. Idris, Deux matres de lcole juridique kairouanaise sous les Zrdes (XIe sicle): Ab Bakr b. #Abd al-Ramn et Ab #Imrn al-Fs, AIEO 13 (1955), pp. 55-56. 12 Ibn \azm, al-Radd #al Ibn al-Naghrla al-Yahd wa-Ras"il Ukhr, ed. I. #Abbs (Maktabat Dr al-#Urba: Cairo, 1960/1380), p. 47: wa-khala#a al-aghr #an #unqihi. 13 E. Lvi-Provenal, tr., Sville musulmane au dbut du XIIe sicle: le trait dIbn #Abdn (G. P. Masonneuve: Paris, 1947), p. 114. Tax collectors, always unpopular with the masses, were frequently drawn from the ranks of the ahl al-dhimma.

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At the other end of the Islamic world, discriminatory dress laws for non-Muslims were being promulgated again by the Saljuq protectors of the #Abbasid caliphs in Iraq and Iran. In 1091/484, during the vizierate of Ab Shuja# al-Rdhrwar, a decree was promulgated ordering non-Muslims to wear distinguishing garb as #Umar had commanded. The decree emphasized that the requirement to wear the marks of ghiyr fell upon dhimm dignitaries as well. This decree did not remain in force for very long, and thirty-one years later, the Saljuq Sultan Mamd again imposed ghiyr garments on the nonMuslims in Baghdad. From a Jewish eye witness, Obadiah the Proselyte, we learn that the decree required the wearing of two yellow patches, one on the headgear. In addition to the patches, according to Obadiah:
Each Jew should have hanging on his neck a piece of lead weighing one dirham, on which the word dhimm was engraved. He also should wear a belt around his waist. On the women two distinctive signs were imposed. They should wear one red and one black shoe and have a small brass bell on their necks or shoes in order to distinguish them from Muslim women.

As a result of the newly reimposed dress code, Muslims were mocking the Jews, and the mob and their youngsters were beating them up in all the streets of Baghdad. However, as often was the case throughout Islamic history, the non-Muslims agreed to pay a significant sum of money4,000 dinars to the caliph and 20,000 to the sultanin return for which the decree was presumably no longer enforced. As S. D. Goitein succinctly observed, After having been softened up in this way, the non-Muslims were of course prepared to pay the exorbitant sums demanded from them.14 By the second half of the twelfth/sixth century, the wearing of ghiyr seems to have become more regularized in many parts of the Islamic world. The stricter enforcement of such vestimentary differentiation was part and parcel of a general hardening of attitudes vis-vis non-Muslims. The Crusades, the Reconquista, social and eco14 Ibn al-Jawz, al-Muntaam IX, p. 228; Tritton, The Caliphs and Their NonMuslim Subjects, pp. 120-121, where additional sources are cited. Goiteins observation and the translation of the Obadiah Scroll are in Goitein, A Mediterranean Society II, p. 287.

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nomic stress, and a growing institutionalization and clericalization of Islam on the one hand, coupled with a gradual decline of the Hellenistic Renaissance and its more open spirit on the other, all contributed to this. As was already briefly mentioned in Chapter Four, one of the most unusual instances of enforced ghiyr occurred at this time under the reign of the Almohad caliph Ab Ysuf Ya#qb al-Manr. Despite the clear koranic injunction against compulsion in matters of religion (Sura 2:256) and the time-honored practice of extending to monotheists the status of protgs of the Islamic state as long as they paid tribute and they comported themselves with humility, the sectarian Almohads withdrew the traditional pact of protection and compelled the Jews and Christians in the empire to accept Islam, and dhimms from Tunisia to Morocco and what remained of al-Andalus outwardly professed the Muslim faith at the height of the Almohad terror. Many of the forced converts, particularly Jewish ones, continued practicing their former religion in secret. In further deviation from traditional Islamic practice, the Almohad authorities treated the forced converts as if they were still dhimms. Not only did they severely limit many of their civil rights, but they also made all these neophytes wear distinguishing clothing consisting of blue-black garments (thiyb kuliyya) with exaggeratedly wide sleeves (akmm mufriat al-sa#a) which reached to the ground, and ludicrous caps (kalawtt #al ashna# ra) that resembled pack saddles (ka-annah "l-bard#) which extended below the ears. Al-Manr rationalized these extreme and highly unorthodox measures with the remark:
If I were sure of the sincerity of their Islam, I would let them mix with the Muslims . . . . , and if I were sure of their unbelief, I would kill their men, enslave their children, and declare their property to be spoils for the Muslims. But I am not sure.15

His son and successor Ab #Abd Allh changed the uniform to yellow garments and yellow turbans, a color it will be recalled, that was generally frowned upon since the time of the Prophet himself.16 It may be considered part of the Almohad heritage that in Moroc15 al-Marrkush, al-Mu#jib f Talkh Akhbr al-Maghrib, ed. R. Dozy (Brill: Leiden, 1881), p. 223. 16 Ibid.

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co throughout the later Middle Ages and until modern times, the dress code for Jews was one of the most strictly applied in the Muslim world.17 The evidence of the Cairo Geniza documents seems to suggest that by the late Ayyubid period in Egypt and the Levant, the wearing of the marks of ghiyr by the non-Muslim subjects was the norm. Only a few members of the dhimm upper class were exceptions to the rule, and at the urging of Muslim scholars, the government began to crack down upon them too. A Geniza letter from sometime around the year 1249 mentions one such crackdown: On that day, a herald of the Sultan announced both morning and evening that the property and life of any Jew or Christian walking in the streets by day or night without a distinguishing badge (#alma) or zunnr would be forfeit.18

The Apogee of Ghiyr Regulations and Enforcement Under the Mamluks The trend toward stricter enforcement of dress restrictions for dhimms (and indeed all aspects of al-shur al-#umariyya, the stipulations of the Pact of #Umar) in late Ayyubid and Saljuq times took on added momentum in the Mamluk period (1250-1517/648-922) in Egypt and Syria. The clothing of the non-Muslim minorities became even more distinct in this period. This was, on the one hand, part and parcel of the trend toward increased social stratification overall. But it was also due to a specific hardening of attitudes toward the non-Muslims which resulted in their increased social isolation and marginality. The ubiquity of complaints about dhimms dressing like Muslims and the wealth of sumptuary legislation imposing upon them either special clothing or some kind of badge (called variously ruq#a, #alma, shakla depending upon time and place) bear poignant witness to what S. D. Goitein has referred to as an obsession pestering Muslims almost throughout their entire history. He goes on to say, This obsession is itself, of course, a sign of the excessive importance
See N. A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, pp. 83, 304, 312, 367. University Library Cambridge, TS 6 J 7, f. 3 recto, l. 18-verso, ll. 1-3, ed. in S. D. Goitein, Mikhtav el ha-Rambam be-#Inyan Heqdasht v-Idiyt #al a"a"v haNegdm, Tarbiz 34 (1965), p. 241. See also idem, A Mediterranean Society II, p. 288.
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attributed to clothing and the status it confers.19 Since the Mamluks with their strict hierarchy did not allow their Muslim Arab subjects to dress like Mamluks or ride horses as they did, they certainly were not going to allow dhimms to dress like Muslims. The fact that the rules of the dress code had to be reimposed over a number of years, as Norman Stillman has observed, was not an indication of any great tolderance in the interim. Medieval regimes, he goes on to say, were woefully inefficient when compared with modern totalitarian states in controlling the daily lives and actions of their subjects. Decrees of many sorts had to be reissued from time to time to demonstrate official resolution.20 In Mamluk Egypt, dhimms were so-to-speak color coded by their outer garments. Beginning with a decree issued in 1301/700, Christian men had to wear a blue turban, Jews a yellow one, and Samaritans, a red one, in clear contrast to the white #imma worn by Muslims. Christian, Jewish, and Samaritan women were required to appear in public in a blue, yellow, or red izr, respectively.21 In 1310/709, the Mamluk council of state considered a proposal to raise money for the exchequer made by the vizier Ibn al-Khall by rescinding the requirement for members of the dhimm lite to wear specially colored turbans. According to one historian, the nonMuslims were willing to pay the incredible sum of 700,000 dinars (an enormous amount of money even considering the debasement of Mamluk coinage) and were even willing to wear a patch on their turbans as long as the headdress itself was white and not colored. However, due to the impassioned intervention of the outspoken \anbal theologian Ibn Taymiyya, the Sultan al-Malik al-Nir Muammad b. Qalwn reaffirmed the existing regulations.22
19 Goitein, A Mediterranean Society IV, p. 194. On the increased social isolation and marginality of non-Muslims in the later Middle Ages, see N. A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, pp. 64-107 and 255-427. 20 Stillman, ibid., pp. 68-69. 21 See al-Suy cited in S. de Sacy, Chrestomathie arabe I (Imprimerie Royale: Paris, 1826), pp. 145-146; and also L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume: A Survey, (Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952), pp. 65-66 and the additional sources cited there. 22 Ibn Kathr, al-Bidya wa l-Nihya fi l-Ta"rkh XIV (Maba#at al-Sa#da: Cairo, 1939), pp. 53-54. The text is translated in Bernard Lewis, ed., Islam from the Prophet Muhammad to the Capture of Constantinople II (Harper Torchbooks: New York, 1974), pp. 232-233. For another account of this same incident, see also Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 66, citing al-Suy, \usn al-Mudara II (Cairo, 1299), p. 212.

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Over the next four decades, political strife and instability among the ruling Bar Mamluk lite apparently led to laxity in enforcement of the sumptuary laws for dhimms. However, in the wake of the terrible social and economic stress wrought by the Black Death which ravaged Egypt between the years 1347/748 and 1349/750, popular sentiment against non-Muslims reached new heights which exploded into attacks on Coptic officials, confiscation of church lands, and even the razing of some churches. In 1354/755, al-Malik al-li al al-Dn li, responding to pressure from both the #ulam" and the mob issued a new decree reiterating the shur al-#umariyyaincluding the color coding established half a century earlierand adding new sumptuary regulations. The new restrictions included limitations on the size of headdresses worn by non-Muslims. (Large turbans had become fashionable at this time.) Henceforth, dhimm turbans could contain no more than ten ells (between 500 and 580 cm) of winding cloth. Once again, dhimm men had to wear a distinctive neck ring of iron, lead or some other base metal in public bathhouses, so that even undressed they could be clearly identified as unbelievers. (Dhimm women were completely banned from baths frequented by Muslim women, probably on the reasoning that women as a group were in the words of a well-known adth lacking in intelligence and religion and hence were more susceptible to the corrupting influence of infidels.)23 Both official and popular attitudes toward non-Muslims hardened under the Circassian Burj Mamluks who took over the sultanate in 1382/784. Perhaps during no period in Islamic history were the ruling authorities more concerned with minute details of non-Muslim dress. Edicts limiting the size of non-Muslims turbans were issued throughout the fifteenth/ninth century, fluctuating between five and seven ells of winding cloth. For example, in 1417/820, five ells of cloth was
23 al-Qalqashand, ub al-A#sh XIII (al-Maba#a al-Amriyya: Cairo, 1918/1293), pp. 378-379. The text is translated in N. A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, pp. 273-274. For other sources, on this decree, see Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 66, n. 8. For this patronizing view of women, see al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-\ayd, bb 6; and also Yedida K. Stillman, Attitudes toward Women in Traditional Near Eastern Societies, in Studies in Judaism and Islam Presented to Shelomo Dov Goitein, eds. S. Morag, I. Ben-Ami, and N. A. Stillman (Magnes Press: Jerusalem, 1981), pp. 345-360, and particularly p. 354, where this adth is discussed.

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the limit for Christian turbans. In addition to turban size and color, new regulations on dress were imposed. In 1419/822, the mutasib, the official who acted both as market inspector and censor of public morals, issued orders that the sleeves of garments worn by dhimms were henceforth to be cut narrow. Wide sleeves at this time were a mark of respectability. The new imposition of narrow sleeves for nonMuslims was one more highly visible mark of their inferior status and was deeply resented by them. In the words of a contemporary historian Ibn Taghr Bird, the dhimms felt themselves hard pressed and made every effort to obtain the cancellation of the order, but this did not attain their goal.24 In 1450/854, a new edict reiterated the seven-ell limit on turban winding cloths. But then in 1463/868, an exception was made for moneychangers and physicians, who were now allowed ten ells of fabric. However, as L. A. Mayer has noted, even with these perennial restrictions, the dhimms turban still was a rather imposing head-gear, and whatever may be said about the length and shape of the turban, on the whole the colour was a distinguishing sign and one of the disabilities least encroached upon, as witnessed by Moslem and non-Moslem observers.25

Regional Variation in Late Medieval North Africa Throughout the Islamic world in later medieval times, dress codes for the native non-Muslim population were not only rigorously enforced, but tended to be regionally specific in their details. The \afids in Tunisia followed late Almohad practice and restricted Jews, who were the only dhimms remaining in the Maghreb after the Almohad forced conversions, to yellow turbans and garments. The amr Ab #Abd Allh, who three years later would take on the caliphal title of alMustanir, at the beginning of his reign in 1250/648 renewed these
24 al-Maqrz, Kitb al-Sulk li-Ma#rifat Duwal al-Mulk IV, pt. 1, ed. S. #Abd alFatt #Ashr (Maba#at Dr al-Kutub: Cairo, 1972), p. 495; Ibn Taghrbird, alNujm al-Zhira f Mulk Mir wa l-Qhira VI, ed. William Popper (University of California Press: Berkeley, 1933), p. 400; English trans., idem, History of Egypt, 13821469 A. D., University of California Publications in Semitic Philology 17 (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1957), p. 69. 25 Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 67.

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regulations in the capital city of Tunis. The Flemish traveler Anselm Adorne in the second half of the fifteenth century observed that
the Jews of Tunis have a special attire, which is different from that of the Moors; if they do not wear distinctive clothing, they would be stoned; they sport a patch of yellow fabric on the head or the neck.26

Because the patch was such a regular defining mark of indigenous Tunisian Jews not only in the \afid period, but up to the nineteenth century, they were commonly referred to as shikliyyn, that is those who wear the sign. As in most North African and some Middle Eastern countries, they were limited to dark attire which included a blue jubba, a black cap, called shshiyya, around which was wrapped a dark blue silk cloth winding cloth. However, Jews from Spain who settled in Tunisia and Algeria following the wave of pogroms that swept the Christian territories of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearics in 1391, wore clothing that was sufficiently distinct from anything worn by Muslims in North Africa to meet the requirements of differentiation by itself. These newcomers came to be called kabbsiyyn, or those who wear the hood (cf. Old Spanish capuz).27 Already in late Almohad Morocco, Jewish forced converts to Islam were allowed to return to the open practice of Judaism as long they adhered to the Pact of #Umar and wore the requisite distinguishing clothing which is not clearly defined in the sources. By custom, urban Jews came to wear primarily black garments (see Pls. 49 and 50), the very opposite of the primarily white clothing of the Believers. In the imperial cities of MoroccoFez, Marrakesh, and later Meknes Jews were not allowed to wear shoes or sandals in the Muslim streets. In other principal towns, this regulation applied only when passing a mosque. An Italian Jew who spent four years in Morocco between 1786 and 1790 writes: Every Jew when passing in front of an Arab mosque has to take off his shoes from his feet. Woe to him who

26 Robert Brunschvig, Deux rcits de voyage en Afrique du Nord au XV e sicle, #Abdalbasit b. Halil et Adorne (Larose diteurs: Paris, 1936), p. 192; see also idem, La Berbrie orientale sous les \afides (Adrien-Maisonneuve: Paris, 1947), p. 404. 27 Brunschvig, La Berbrie orientale sous les \afides I, p. 405;and also H. Z. [J. W.] Hirschberg, A History of the Jews in North Africa I (Brill: Leiden, 1974), p. 382. For kabbs, see Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes II (Brill: Leiden, 1967), p. 439. See also Hirschberg, ibid. II, p. 108.

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forgets or disobeys!28 This particular form of humiliation remained in force until the late nineteenth century.29 Throughout the sixteenth, seventeenth, and early eighteenth centuries, Jews in Fez wore straw footgear, called tabbn, when walking through the Muslim medina, but were permitted to wear regular shoes within the confines of the mellah. Exception to these restrictions was madeas was so often the case in many parts of the Muslim world throughout historyfor Jews who had access to the royal court.30 Morocco was not the only country to have specific customary restrictions on Jewish footwear. In neighboring Algeria, Jews in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were limited to black shoes, and black sandals were part of the ghiyr attire of the indigenous Tunisian Jews (twansa) till the middle of the nineteenth century.31 With the exception of the humiliating regulations on footwear and the limiting, by custom more than legislation, of Jewish outerwear to dark colors which seems to have prevailed throughout the Arab world, there does not seem to be any continuation of the shikla patch or badge in Morocco during these later centuries. The clothing of the Sephardi exiles was already quite distinct from indigenous Muslim attire. As already noted in Chapter Four, Sephardi (and also Andalusian Muslim) women wore the distinctive whirling skirt, called jala (and also fala). Although Muslim authorities did not impose additional sumptuary laws upon Jewish clothing, Jewish authorities in fact did enact certain restrictive regulations regarding the attire of Jews, and more particularly Jewish women, in the public streets. Jewish communal ordinances (Heb. taqqant) of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries forbade women to go outdoors in glittering attire that is, in clothing with gold and silver thread embroidery (Ar. iqill)
28 Samuel Romanelli, Travail in an Arab Land, trans. Yedida K. Stillman and Norman A. Stillman (University of Alabama Press: Tuscaloosa, 1989), p. 64. 29 See Norman A. Stillman, Lexprience judo-marocaine: un point de vue revisioniste, in Judasme dAfrique du Nord aux XIXe-XXe sicles: Histoire, socit et culture, ed. M. Abitbol (Institut Ben-Zvi: Jerusalem, 1980), p. 17; and idem, The Jews of Arab Lands, pp. 83 and 304. 30 See Jane S. Gerber, Jewish Society in Fez, 1450-1700: Studies in Communal and Economic Life (Brill: Leiden, 1980), p. 138 and the sources cited there. 31 See Hirschberg, A History of the Jews in North Africa II, pp. 14 and 109 and the sources cited there.

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or with their jewelry showing. The main purpose of these enactments was aimed at reducing Muslim enmity. Protecting Jewish men from having to satisfy what the rabbis considered unwarranted feminine extravance was also sometimes cited as a reason.32

Ghiyr in Early Modern Times: The Lingering Authority of Custom and the Impact of Increasing European Penetration In other countries of the Arab world, too, where enforcement of the Pact of #Umar and hierarchal rules and rituals of differentiation and even abasement (Arabic, dhull) were strictly observed, patch badges had fallen out of use by early modern times. (In fact, Shi#ite Persia seems to be the only Muslim country still to impose occasionally a breast patchred in this caseon Jews in some cities as late as the end of the nineteenth century.)33 By both custom and internal legislative controls, non-Muslims maintained their own distinguishing styles. In Yemen, for example, where like Morocco, Jews were the only dhimms, a reiteration of the Pact from the early twentieth century has most of the usual stipulations, but makes no mention of differentiating clothing. This was due in part to the fact that Yemenite Jewish men wore the specifically Jewish ritual show fringes (iyyt) on the four corners of their mantles, such as the heavier shamla and lighter mandl in accordance with the biblical injunction (Numbers 15:3739ff).34 Furthermore, in many parts of Yemen, Jews customarily wore blue-dyed outer garments. But perhaps even more importantly, the Yemenite Jewish males distinctive sidelocks, called p"t in most of the Jewish world but designated smnm (literally, signs) in Yemen,
32 For examples of these ordinances, see Abraham Anqawa, Kerem \emer II (Elijah Benamozegh: Livorno, 1871), Nos. 81, 92, 94, 149, 153, 161, 163, 165. These can also be found in Taqqant Yehd Marq: Osef ha-Taqqant mi-Rsht haM"a ha-17 ve-#ad sf ha-M"a ha-18, with introduction by Shalom Bar-Asher (Zalman Shazar Center: Jerusalem, 1977). 33 Alliance Isralite Universelle Iraq I.C.3, translated in David Littman, Jews under Muslim Rule: The Case of Persia, The Wiener Library Bulletin 32, n.s. nos. 49/ 50 (1979), p. 7. 34 Concerning these and other garments with ritual show fringes, see Erich Brauer, Ethnologie der jemenitischen Juden (Carl Winters Universittbuchhandlung: Heidelberg, 1934), pp. 83-85, 88, 168, and 310.

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served as a highly visible badge. As a Yemenite Muslim told the Lebanese journalist Ameen Rihani, who visited San#a in 1930, The Jews must wear sidelocks, ya Ameen, that we may not kill them by mistake in times of war. These sidelocks which could be as long as 20 centimeters were considered to be such a distinguishing badge that in Yemenite Muslim Arabic they were referred to as zannr (sing., both zunnr and zunnra), the original ghiyr belt for Christians in the earliest texts of the Pact of #Umar.35 With increasing European mercantile penetration into the Islamic lands of North Africa and the Middle East, and in particular with the growing opportunities to obtain foreign protection through the extraterritoriality accorded to European nations under the so-called Capitulations (Arabic, imtiyzt), dhimms with foreign ties either to consulates, factories, or merchant houses in their own countries or who had been to Europe for extended periods of time, began to seek to shed what both they and the Muslim society around them perceived to be the humiliating marks of ghiyr in their clothing. It was not that they wished necessarily to dress like Muslims. On the whole, they did not. At the very least they wished to removes marks of dhull, while still maintaining their indigenous styles. Not a few, howeverand their numbers increased as European power and prestige mountedwanted to be able to wear European (rm or ifranj) attire. A romantic lover of native culture, such as the Englishman Budgett Meakin might decry the fact that Jews in early twentieth-century Morocco who had obtained foreign protection put aside their traditional attire in favour of European ugliness and that younger ladies on the coast are so misguided as to reject their own becoming costumes to the extent that they do, in favour of hideous Parisian fashions not to be compared for beauty or grace with those worn by their mothers. But the dhimms themselves indulged in no such romanticism, and Meakin

Ameen Rihani, Arabian Peak and Desert: Travels in Al-Yaman (Houghton Mifflin: Boston and New York, 1930), pp. 183-187, in Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands in Modern Times, p. 299. Concerning the Yemenite Jewish males smnm (pronounced smnm in Yemenite Hebrew; ultimately derived from Greek simeion), see Brauer, Ethnologie der jemenitischen Juden, pp. 54, 79, 88, and 202. For zunnr as side-lock hanging down from the temple, see Moshe Piamenta, Dictionary of Post-Classical Yemeni Arabic I (Brill: Leiden, 1990), p. 206.

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himself was fully aware that the compulsory dark traditional garments were considered an indignity.36 There was already the precedent of the grana, or Livornese Jews, in the Regency of Tunisia, and of the francos, or Jews with European nationality in the Levant, both of which groups, including their descendents, continued to wear European-style, and later somewhat modified European-style clothing within the Domain of Islam.37 The process of being freed from ghiyr restrictions was definitely evolutionary, not revolutionary, and took place at different tempos in different Arab countriesand even within different regions in a particular country. In Morocco, for example, which lay on the Western frontier of the Arab world, was highly conservative, and was able to resist European interference and westernizing forces in its internal affairs for a longer time than the Ottoman Empire, the strict maintenance of the dress code for non-Muslims with its particularly humiliating Maghrebi innovations remained in force in the interior of the country into the twentieth century. In fact, even Jews of Moroccan extraction from Gibraltar who came into the Sharifan Empire on business and were technically arbs (residents of the Dr al-arb, the Domain of War, with temporary permission to be in the Domain of Islam), had to wear the attire prescribed for dhimms. It was only in 1806, that the requirement was rescinded for the Gibraltarans by sultan Mawly Sulaymn in response to a petition submitted on their behalf by the British Consul General James Green.38 Indigenous Moroccan Jews, however, still had to observe the dress code. More than half a century after Mawly Sulaymn granted permission for foreign Jews to wear European attire in his realm, indigenous Moroccan Jews were still subject to the traditional dress code. By this time, emancipated European Jews had begun lobbying
36 See for example the testimony of Budgett Meakin, who lived for many years in Morocco and was a keen observer of life there, The Moors: A Comprehensive Description (Swan Sonnenheim: London; and Macmillan: New York, 1902), pp. 434-435. 37 Concerning the francos who were actually called in Arabic franjs (Europeans), see Alexander Lutzky, The `Francos and the Effect of the Capitulations on the Jews in Aleppo, Zion 6:1 (1940), pp. 46-79 [in Hebrew]; and Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, pp. 93 and 318. 38 See Public Records Office (London) FO 174/10, published in N. A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, p. 367.

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in favor of their correligionists in Morocco. In 1864, the British philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore was in Marrakesh petitioning Muammad IV to grant Tanzimat-style reforms in favor of Moroccan Jewry. Among the concessions that he hoped to obtain from the sultan was the abolition of the laws of ghiyr, which he referred to as these humiliating marks of discrimination, particularly, the requirement for Jews to walk barefoot through the streets of the imperial cities. Mawly Muammad did issue a generally worded edict on February 5, 1864, promising justice for his non-Muslim subjects and the abolition of corve labor, but with no specific statement on the relaxation of the dress code.39 Somber-colored clothing, black slippers (bulgha) when going shod at all rather than the yellow ones worn by Muslims, dark caps (qiyya or arbsh) and perhaps a blue headscarf (sabaniyya), remained the generally enforced mode of dress for Jews in Morocco, except in the coastal towns which had a strong European presence until the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1912.
39 See Hirschberg, A History of the Jews in North Africa, vol. 2, p. 309, where Montefiores letter to his nephew mentions his hope to have the ghiyr requirement rescinded is quoted; and also N. A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands, pp. 99-100 and 371-373, where the text of the Sharifan edict is translated.

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chapter six THE OPULENT WORLD OF IR$Z AND PRECIOUS TEXTILES

It was briefly noted in Chapter Two that the production of special embroidered fabrics in palace textile factories began during the first caliphal dynasty and became a standard element of the Islamic vestimentary system. irz, or embroidered, garments were in fact such a hallmark feature of medieval Islamic material haut bourgeois culture that they are almost invariably worn by the people depicted in medieval illuminated miniatures with the exception of slaves and laborers. Although the wearing of such luxury garments was by no means as ubiquitous as the illustrations of Arabic manuscripts would suggest, they express a fashion ideal much in the same way as modern magazines or Hollywood depict a mode that was to be aspired to. Because of this centrality of irz and other luxurious textiles in the Islamic vestimentary system, no history of Arab attire would be complete without some detailed discussion of the irz institution and the world of fine fabrics.

The Term irz The Arabic term irz is a Persian loanword (cf. Pers. tarz, adornment or embellishment and tirz, gusset or gore) originally meaning embroidery or decorative work (Arabic #alam) on a garment or piece of fabric.1 It later came to mean a khil #a, or robe of honor, richly adorned with elaborate embroidery, especially in the form of
1 Cf. the Persian verb tarzidn. The root appears in the Talmud in a variant reading of Tractate Shabbat 98b in the form irz and is understood by Hay Gaon (died Baghdad, 1038) as being of Persian origin. See Samuel Krauss, ed., Additamenta ad Librum Aruch Completum Alexandri Kohut (Pardes: New York, 1955), p. 207a. The Arab lexicographers al-Layth and al-Azhar also believed the word to be arabized (mu#arrab) Persian. See al-Zabd, Tj al-#Ars IV, p. 48.

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embroidered bands with writing upon them. These embroidered bands ran either along the border of the textile, sometimes arranged in two, or even more, strips around the upper part of the garment or were placed around the neck, around the sleeves, on the upper arm or wrists of a sleeved robe and even on the headdress. In medieval manuscript illuminations most people are depicted in garments with gold irz bands on the upper sleeves, sometimes with actual inscriptions as in the case of the atabeg Badr al-Dn Lu"lu" #Abd Allh in Pl. 23. irz patches frequently adorn mens turbans in these paintings, as in the case of Pls. 39 and 40. They were used not only as ornamental borders but were also put in the pattern of the material. Many, if not most irz bands contained pious formulas and blessings. But in addition to these formulaic inscriptions, the name of the place of manufacture and of the vizier or other official in charge of the treasury or of the irz-factory where the textile was produced could be found; more rarely the name of the artist who made the cloth might also be given. In the earliest centuries of Islam, such a garment was worn by rulers and members of their entourage (ab al-khil #a). irz (and dr al-irz) also came to designate the workshop in which such fabrics or robes were manufactured. A secondary development from the meaning embroidered strip of writing is that of strip of writing, border or braid in general, applied not only to inscriptions woven, embroidered, or sewn-on materials, but also to any inscriptions on a band of any kind, whether hewn out of stone, done in mosaic, glass or faience, or carved in wood.2 Until about the middle of the tenth/ fourth century, when the production of papyrus ceased in Egypt, the word irz sometimes also designated the inscriptions officially stamped with ink upon the rolls of papyrus in the factories. This usage of irz was in turn extended to indicate the factories themselves.3

2 See, for example, al-Maqrz, al-Maw#i wa l-I #tibr bi-Dhikr al-I #tibr Khia wa l-Athr, II (Blq: Cairo, 1853), p. 79: an inscription carved in stone (al-irz almansh fi l-idjra). 3 See J. von Karabaek, Zur orientalishen Altertumskunde II: Die arabischen Papyrusprotokolle, SBAW, CLXI:1, 1908, 8-10; and also A. Grohmann, Corpus Papyrorum Raineri, I/ii, Vienna, 1923 (repr., 1995), nos. 175, 204, 214, 265, 270.

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chapter six The Origins of the irz Institution

The production of certain luxury textiles was an imperial privilege in both the Byzantine and Sasanian empires and had antecedents in the earlier Roman and Persian states. The Byzantine emperors established royal weaving ataliers, or gynaecea (literally, womens quarters), in various places throughout their domains, including in Egypt, where there developed a distinctive Coptic style marked by embroidered decorative patches (either squares or roundels) and bands (clavi) that continued for nearly seven centuries into the Islamic era (see Pl. 51).4 Some scholars, such as Khnel and Bellinger, have hypothesized that such establishments were probably taken over by the Umayyad caliphs, who were known to have had a dr al-irz, or irz factory, in Alexandria. The Umayyads, according to this view, adapted the production of such ateliers to their special needs and tastes.5 Ebersolt has proposed a connection between the irz bands of medieval Islamic dress and the Roman clavusthe sign of the senatorial and knightly rankwhich is ultimately traced to an Etruscan origin. It is worth noting that, in Muslim fabrics also, the band of writing was often embroidered or woven in red silk. Perhaps the preference for this color is due to the fact that the clavi of the Romans were usually done in purple. The privilege of the Princeps to grant the latus clavus to the senators and the reservation of purple for the use of the ruler and, from 369, the limitation of the production of gold braid to the gynaecea, at least, afford parallels to the sovereign right of the Muslim Caliphs to the irz and its presentation.6 In contradistinction to the scholars who looked to Byzantium and Rome for the source of irz as object and institution, others, most notably Serjeant, following the testimony of many medieval Arab
4 See Alisa Baginski and Amalia Tidhar, Textiles from Egypt, 4th-13th centuries C.E. (L. A. Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art: Jerusalem, 1980). Concerning the institution of the gynaceum, see Robert S. Lopez, Silk Industry in the Byzantine Empire, Speculum 20 (January 1945), pp. 1-42; J. Ebersolt, Les arts somptuaires de Byzance (E. Leroux: Paris, 1923), pp. 12-13; A. Marzouk, History of Textile Industry in Alexandria 331 B.C.-1517 A.D. (University Press: Alexandria, 1955), pp. 46-53. 5 See al-Qalqashand, ub al-A#sh, IV (al-Maba#a al-Amriyya: Cairo, 191319), p. 7; and Ernst Khnel and Louise Bellinger, Catalogue of Dated Tiraz Fabrics (The Textile Museum: Washington, 1952), p. 1. 6 Ebersolt, Les arts somptuaires de Byzance, pp. 12-13.

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historians, were of the belief that the irz system had its origin in Sasanian Persia and that during the Umayyad period it expanded westward to Egypt, North Africa, and Spain.7 Ibn Khaldn, for example, states outright that the pre-Islamic Persian kings (mulk al#ajam) used to make that irz with the images and likenesses of monarchs or other images and likenesses specifically designated for that use, and later the Islamic monarchs substituted for that the inscribing of their names together with other words of good omen or praises of God. Ibn Khaldns remarks concerning garments with royal insignia in Sasanian times is corroborated by the much earlier testimony of the Talmud where it is mentioned that the robes of scholars associated with the house of the exilarch, the putative descendents of the Davidic kings and representatives of the Jews before the ruling authorities, bore some sort of badge with his seal. This prompted S. D. Goitein to suggest that the custom was probably borrowed by the exilarchs from the Sasanian court at which they served.8 The truth concerning the origins of the irz system, it would seem, combines both views. The institution of royal ateliers was so widespread throughout the ancient and early medieval Near East that its adoption by the Muslims, who were decidedly eclectic, need not be attributed to a single source. The name of the system is clearly Persian, but on the other hand, it is an established fact that the Umayyads, based as they were in the former Byzantine province of Syria, were at first far more under the influence of Eastern Roman rather than of Persian culture, as the Dome of the Rock, the great mosque of Damascus, and the numerous desert chateaux in Syria, Palestine, and Trans-Jordan bear ample witness. Although as noted in Chapter Two above, even in these caliphal retreats, Persian styles appear as well as Hellenistic ones.

R. B. Serjeant, Islamic Textiles: Material for a History up to the Mongol Conquest, Librairie du Liban: Beirut, 1972), p. 9. 8 Ibn Khaldn, Muqaddima (Qsim Muhammad al-Rajab: Baghdad, n.d., repr. Beirut, 1900), pp. 266-67; BT Shabbat 58a; S. D. Goitein, Petitions to Fatimid Caliphs from the Cairo Geniza, JQR, n.s., 45 (1954-5), pp. 34-35.

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The Early Development of the irz Institution under the Umayyads The earliest regular production of Arabic-inscribed irz probably goes back to the time of the reforms of #Abd al-Malik when not only did Arabic become the official chancery language, but was henceforth inscribed on all coins and was used for the stamp (irz) on papyrus. Although the earliest Muslim historians, such as al-Baldhur and al-abar, mention only the coinage and papyrus, al-Bayhaq claims that the reforms included inscriptions on garments (thiyb) and tapestries (sutr).9 The first Umayyad caliph who is specifically mentioned in the Arabic sources as having had irz factories was #Abd alMaliks son and fourth successor, Hishm, who was known as a fashionplate and a great lover of fine robes, textiles, and carpets. He is also said to have worn silk garments with what may have been embroidered bands (al-khazz al-raqm), but the term is somewhat ambiguous and could also merely indicate striping.10 As already noted in Chapter Two above, Hishms successor, al-Wald II is reported to have worn caliphal garments (thiyb al-khilfa). This term was later synonymous with irz robes, although it is not clear whether alWalds royal garments actually had the embroidered bands on them or were simply designated caliphal because they were white, the Umayyad official color. As in so many areas of culture, material as well as intellectual, Arabic terminology was extremely fluid during the evolutionary early centuries of Islam. One of the oldest surviving irz fabrics, which has a red silk ground with designs in several colors and an inscription in yellow silk, exists in three pieces, all discovered in Egypt, and bears the name of the Caliph Marwn. The question is which MarwnMarwn I (684-5/ 64-5) or Marwn II (744-750/127-132)? Most scholars prefer the latter on historical grounds since one piece bears the inscription in the irz factory of Ifrqiya, and it seems unlikely that the Maghrebi
al-Bayhaq, Kitb al-Masub wa l-Masw, ed. F. Schwally (Ricker: Giessen, 1902), p. 498. 10 al-Jahshiyr, Kitb al-Wuzar" wal-Kuttb, ed. M. Al-Saqq", I. Al-Abyr, and A. \ Shalibi (Maba#at Muafa al-Bb al-\alab: Cairo, 1938), p. 60; al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab wa-Ma#din al-Jawhar, ed. C. Barbier de Meynard and A. Pavet de Courteille V (Imprimerie Impriale: Paris, 1861-1877), p. 466; also Ibn #Abd Rabbih, al-#Iqd al-Fard, II (Cairo, 1913/1331), p. 338.
9

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province was secure enough in the earlier reign to have such an establishment.11 Day, on the other hand, has pointed out that from a stylistic point of view, the inscriptions look more like seventh/first century, rather than eighth/second century.12 Another very early irz fragment of wool tapestry has a partial inscription [commander of the] faithful Ma[rwn] that also appears to come from the reign of Marwn. Its Sasanian ground design of cocks on pedestals enclosed in roundels again point stylistically to the time of Marwn I (684-85/ 65 A.H. But again, most scholars favor attributing the piece to Marwn II (744-750/127-132) on the grounds that the reign of the former was too brief (between six and ten months) to make any attribution to him likely. In any event, it seems clear that by late Umayyad times, the irz system extended across the length and breadth of the caliphate. There is one dated irz fragment from the Umayyad period, an Egyptian linen turban cloth with an inscription giving the date of manufacture, Rajab 88 (June 707), and the name of the person for whom it was produced, one Samuel b. Ms.13 This was probably a privately commissioned piece made for a wealthy Jew or Christian. It mentions neither the caliph, nor the factory, and was not therefore, an official irz cloth. In later periods, particularly under the Fatimids as we know from the evidence of the Cairo Geniza documents, private irz production for the bourgeoisie became increasingly common.

Full-Scale Development of the irz Institution under the #Abbasids The irz system continued to flourish in the Muslim East under the #Abbasids. Hrn al-Rashd is reported to have entrusted the irz operations (dr al-uruz) to his famous vizier Ja#far al-Barmak.14 Con11 R. Guest and A. F. Kendrick, The Earliest Dated Islamic Textiles, Burlington Magazine, 40 (1932), pp. 185-186; and Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, p. 13. 12 See Florence E. Day, The irz Silk of Marwn, in Archaeologica Orientalia in Memoriam Ernst Herzfeld, ed. G. C. Miles (J. J. Augustin: New York, 1952), passim, but especially pp. 52-61. 13 M. A. A. Marzouk, The Turban of Samuel ibn Musa, the Earliest Dated Islamic Textile, in Bulletin of the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University 16 (1954), pp. 14351. 14 al-Jahshiyr, Kitb al-Wuzar", p. 249.

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trol of the irz factories was considered one of the most important of administrative responsibilities in the government, along with oversight of the mints, the post, and the bureaux of taxation, and only individuals of high rank and the most trusted individuals among their freedmen were given this office. Al-Rashd made regular presents of irz garments and fabrics to his favorites. His Christian physician Bukhtsh# b. Jurjs received every Muarram an allotment of garments, furs and textiles that included twenty garment-sized pieces (shiqqa) of royal irz linen shot with gold or silver thread (al-qaab alkh al-irz) and a like number of pieces of mulam irz (a combination fabric of silk warp and woof of another material with embroidered bands).15 Supervision of the irz factories was so important to the caliph because it was considered one of his royal perogatives to have his name on the textiles produced in them, just as it was to have his name on the sikka, or legend, of the coinage and in the khuba, or Friday sermon in the mosque. Omission of the rulers name from any or all of these was tantamount to rebellion. For example, al-Ma"mn dropped his brother al-Amns name from the sikka and the irz when he began his rebellion in 809-10/194 ), and Ibn ln dropped the regent al-Muwaffaqs name from the irz and the khuba in 882-3/ 269, when he broke relations with Baghdad.16 This latter act was of particularly far-reaching consequences since the annual caliphal gift of an inscribed covering (kiswa) to the Ka#ba was produced in the irz factories of Egypt, and the absence of the regents name would be seen by pilgrims from all around the Dr al-Islm. R. B. Serjeant has suggested that it was perhaps at this very time that the Ka#ba covering began to be produced in the East, although it is only three generations later that Tustar (Shustar) in Persia is first mentioned as the place where the kiswa was produced.17 Despite the political importance of caliphal inscriptions on the Ka#ba coverings, it is by no means clear that such inscriptions fea15 Ibn Ab Uaybi#a, #Uyn al-Anb" f abaqt al-Aibb" I, ed. Mller (Selbstverlag: Knigsberg, 1884), p. 136. 16 Ibn Taghrbird, Abul-Mahasin ibn Tagri Birdi Annales I, ed. T. W. J. Juynboll and B. J.Matthes (E. J. Brill: Leiden 1852-1861), pp. 551-552; Ibn al-Athr, Kitb alKmil f Ta"rkh VII (Blq Press: Cairo, 1290), p. 143. 17 Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, pp. 20 and 42; al-Iakhr, Kitb al-Maslik wa lMamlik, ed. M. de Goeje, (Brill: Leiden, 1870), p. 92.

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tured prominently on the robes of honor (khila#) distributed by the caliph during the first century of the #Abbasid period. Bierman has pointed to the universal silence of the numerous texts describing the bestowal of robes of honor at this time. This silence stands in marked contrast to the later Fatimid period, when such descriptions frequently include details on the political inscriptions embroidered on khila#.18 On the other hand, the literary sources do mention that, starting with the reign of Hrn al-Rashd, when the Persian secretarial class were the trend setters in all matters of high culture and good taste with their polite educational ideal of adab, it became the fashion to have verses of poetry embroidered onto the robes of honor. The poet Abu l-#Athiya presented al-Rashd on the occasion of the Nawrz, or Persian New Years festival, with a perfumed thawb with verses embroidered on its borders.19 The adb al-Washsh", whose guide for people of good taste and high culture has already been discussed at some length in Chapter Two above, devotes one section of his book to What [verses] may be found [inscribed] on shirt tails (dhuyl al-aqmia wa l-a#lm) and is embroidered on cloaks and sleeves (wa-arz al-ardiya wa l-akmm), another to the verses on headdresses and head bands (karzin wa-#a"ib) and a third to the verses on belts, pantaloon drawstrings, and scarves (zannr, tikak, wa-mandl).20 Clearly, by the time of Hrn al-Rashds caliphate, the production and bestowal of irz fabrics and garments were an integral part of royal protocol, an accepted prerogative of the ruler, and medium for demonstrating and extending the prestige of the dynasty and the court to favored individuals. The presentation of irz robes of honor (khila#) and even pieces of fabric (shiqaq) to court favorites was itself an occasion for poetical compositions and was noted by Arab historians. The sociopolitical importance of irz and its courtly connection were described by Ibn Khaldn as follows:
It is part of royal and governmental pomp and dynastic custom to have the names of rulers or their peculiar marks [#almt] put on [tursam] the
18 Irene Bierman, Art and Politics: The Impact of Fatimid Uses of irz Fabrics, (Ph. D. diss., University of Chicago, 1980), pp. 20-21. 19 Ibn Khallikn, Kitb Wafayt al-A#yn, I, ed. M. de Slane (Didot Frres: Paris, 1842), p. 203. 20 al-Washsh", Kitb al-Muwashsh aw al-arf wa l-uraf" (Maba#at al-I#timd: Cairo, 1362/1953), chaps. 42-44, pp. 219-230.

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silk . . . The writing is brought out by weaving a gold thread or some other colored thread of a color different from that of the fabric itself into it. [Its execution] depends upon the skill of the weavers in designing and weaving it. Royal fabrics are embellished with such a irz, in order to increase the prestige of . . . those whom the ruler distinguishes by bestowing on them his own garment when he wants to honor them or appoint them to one of the offices of the dynasty.21

The irz Institution under the Fatimids The Fatimids had adopted the use of inscribed textiles already at the time of the establishment of their counter-Caliphate in North Africa in the early tenth/fourth century, and it is clear that they brought a number of these irz fabrics produced in Ifrqiya with them when they transferred their adminstrative center to Egypt (973/362), as is attested by the presence of irz fabrics dating from the dynastys North African period in a Fatimid funerary site in Fustat.22 The Fatimid use of irz may well have had a religious significance in addition to the sociopolitical importance already attached to the production and distribution of such textile and garments in the Umayyad and #Abbasid caliphates. In Ism#l Shi#ite theology, the Fatimid caliphs were more than commanders of the faithful, the Prophets relatives, and his vicars on earth. They were nothing less than infallible (ma#m) imms, direct descendants of the Prophet Muammad, and charismatic bearers of the divine light (nr ilh). They were considered by their followers to exude this charisma and transmit its blessing (baraka) by their very touch. In the North African period, the eunuch Jawdhar had asked for a garment (thawb) of the caliphs to use as a funeral shroud because of its baraka,23 although there is no indication that the
21 Franz Rosenthal, tr. The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History (Pantheon Books: New York, 1958), pp. 65-66. 22 For examples, see R.-P. Gayraud et al., Istabl #Antar (Fostat) 1994: Rapport de Fouilles, AI 24 (1995). 23 Ab #Al Manr al-Judhar, Srat al-Ustdh Jdhar [Jawdhar], ed. M. K. \usayn and M. #A. Shu#ayra (Dr al-Fikr al-#Arab: Cairo, 1954), p. 138. The concept of baraka as a power or force that can be transmitted by a charismatic individual is widespread in Maghrebi popular culture to this day. For a detailed anthropological survey of the phenomenon, see Edward Alexander Westermarck, Ritual and Belief in Morocco (repr. University Books: New Hyde Park, 1968), pp. 35-261.

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textile in question was inscribed. However, large numbers of inscribed shrouds have been excavated in Egypt, which has led to the suggestion that there was an intentional use of irz for funerary garments.24 The evidence (which is admittedly meager) suggests that the mass-production of textiles inscribed with the caliphs name and given as a robe of honor (khil #a) may have developed as the demand for such robes and textiles increased and the caliph abandoned the practice of giving a piece of his own clothing in favor of bestowing a garment that had been produced in the irz factories. Though not necessarily touched by the infallible imam himself, they were produced with his imprimatur so-to-speak and came to be considered by extension as bearing his charismatic blessedness as well. Still, the actual touch of the charismatic Fatimid caliph was considered even more blessed as may be seen from a report about a man during the reign of al-hir (1021-1036/411-427), who aspired to both a larger land grant (iq#) and greater prestige. The social climber requested not only a robe and a skullcap from the caliph, and not only garments that were the caliphs own (thiyb min thiybihi...wa-shshiyya min shawshhi), but that they should actually have been worn by him (thiyb min thiyb mawln . . . allat yalbisuh).25 In the very earliest days of Fatimid rule, the caliph-imam donned a magnificent robe, which he then ritually took off (this is the actual meaning of the verb khala#a, whence the term khil #a is derived) and put on the individual to be honored with his own hand. The dramatic scene is described as follows:
We saw the Mahd [the founder of the Fatimid dynasty] sitting in the middle of the tent on his throne, resplendent like the sun with beauty and gracefulness. Weeping, we threw ourselves down before him, while he laughed and humbly praised God, may his name be blessed, thanked him and exalted him. Then he said to andal: Give me the two splendid garments which I have been keeping especially in such-andsuch a trunk. He brought them, and the Mahd donned one of them,

24 Jochen A. Sokoly, Between Life and Death: The Funerary Context of irz Textiles, in Islamische Textilkunst des Mittelalters: Aktuelle Probleme, (Die Abegg Stiftung: Riggisberg, 1997), pp. 71-78. 25 al-Musabbi, al-Juz" al-Arba#n min Akhbr Mir I [Tome quarantime de la Chronique dgypte de Musabbi: 1 Partie historique], ed. A. F. Sayyid and Thierry Bianquis, (Institut Franais dArchologie Orientale: Cairo, 1978), p. 58.

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and the Q"im [the Mahds son and successor] the other. Then he said, And now the clothing and swords, which I have been keeping for these here! Then, after he had first clothed Ab #Abdallh with his own hand, wound a turban around his head and girded him with a sword, he also clothed me, and that indeed with a garment under which there was yet another, made of Dabq linen, and with turban, trousers and slippers, and he girded me with a sword. He clothed and girded ayyib as he had done for me, and also Muslim, andal, and Ab Ya#qb. He had prepared all this in advance, before we departed from Salamya.26

The flourishing of the irz industry under the Fatimids is attested to both by the large number of surviving inscribed textiles (see Pl. 52) and by the literary and documentary record. The chronicles and administrative histories which survive establish that irz production was an integral part of the Fatimid bureaucracy. There is little information on the structure of the irz administration for the earlier Fatimid period, but for the later period we have not only the accounts of Ibn Mammt (d. 1209/606) and al-Makhzm (d. 1189/ 585), but also the excerpts of Ibn al-uwayr (d. 1220/617) preserved by al-Qalqashand (d. 1418/821) and al-Maqrz (d. 1442/845). The head of the irz institution was a high-ranking court official, the only one to receive his khil#a in a private ceremony according to Ibn al-uwayr, who devotes a section in his chapter on the Fatimid governmental bureaux to the irz.27 The sums spent by the regime in irz production were apparently quite large, though the sparse information in the chronicles makes systematic tracking of these expenditures impossible. Ibn al-Ma"mn al-Ba"i (d. 1192/588) reports that the expenditures for costumes (including gold thread) in the year 516/1122 were nearly 20,000 dinars, and Ibn al-uwayr put the amount spent on costumes for various court occasions at 10,000 dinars a year.28
26 Muammad b. Muammad al-Yaman, Srat al-\jib Ja#far b. #Al, cited in Heinz Halm, The Empire of the Mahdi: The Rise of the Fatimids, trans. Michael Bonner (Brill: Leiden, 1996), p. 138. I owe this reference to my colleague Professor Paula Sanders. 27 Ibn al-uwayr, Nuzhat al-Muqlatayn f Akhbr al-Dawlatayn, ed. A. F. Sayyid (Franz Steiner: Stuttgart, 1992), pp. 101-104. 28 Ibn al-Ma"mn al-Ba"i, Akhbr Mir, ed. A. F. Sayyid (Al-Ma#had al-#Ilm al-Farans lil $thr al-Sharqiyah: Cairo, 1983), pp. 48ff; Ibn al-uwayr, Nuzhat al-Muqlatayn, pp. 75, 104.

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The management of the bureau of irz was closely related to that of the mint (dr al-arb) for two reasons. First, irz production involved the same prerogative of inscribing the caliphs name as did minting. Indeed, the inscription of textiles is specifically mentioned alongside the minting and inscription of coins (sikka) among the prerogatives that the vizier al-Ma"mn al-Ba"i restored to the caliph al-$mir (1101-1130/495-525) after the fall of the dictator al-Afal b. Amr al-Juysh in 1121/515. Second, the irz factories used large quantities of gold, which was spun into thread under the careful supervision of the mint. Special security was required for the bullion used as metal thread. The close association of the mint and office of irz is clear from the administrative histories of Ibn Mammt and al-Makhzm, both of whom describe the mint and the bureau of irz sequentially in their works. The production of gold thread is specifically mentioned under the discussion of each institution.29 The elaborate inventory preserved in Ibn al-Ma"mn records not only the amount of gold in each garment, but also the labor charges for spinning the gold thread. The cost of labor alone came to one eighth dinar per mithqal (approximately 4.2 grams) of gold. The irz gold thread on a single military robe could cost 500 gold dinars, and in 1122 over 14,000 robes were needed at just one court ceremony.30 Abundant material from the Cairo Geniza (particularly business letters, marriage contracts, and trousseaux) documents the vitality of the textile industry that was the cornerstone of the Egyptian economy.31 Fatimid Egypt had five major irz centers: Alexandria, Tinnis,

29 Ibn Mammt, Kitb Qawnn al-Dawwn, ed. A. S. Atiya (Maktabat Madbl: Cairo, 1991), pp. 330-333; al-Makhzm, al-Muntaq min Kitb al-Minhj f #Ilm Kharj Mir, ed. Claude Cahen and Y. Raghib (Institut Franais dArchologie Orientale: Cairo, 1986), pp. 30-33. 30 Ibn al-Ma"mns report is preserved in al-Maqrz, Kitb al-Maw"i wa lI #tibr bi-Dhikr al-Khia wa l-Athr I (Blq Press: Cairo, 1853), p. 410. For a very good survey of the traditional gold thread industry as it was still practiced in the early twentieth century in Morocco, see M. Vicaire and R. Le Tourneau, La fabrication du fil dor Fs, Hespris 24 (1937), pp. 67-88. 31 S. D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society I (University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1967), pp. 101-108; Gladys Frantz-Murphy, The Agrarian Administration of Egypt from the Arabs to the Ottomans (Institut Franais dArchologie Orientale: Cairo, 1986); eadem, Textiles in the Economy of Medieval Egypt, JESHO 23 (1980).

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Damietta, Dabiq, and the Fayym. These were not just centers of irz, but also more generally of textile production. The overwhelming majority of surviving irz fabrics with dated or datable Kufic inscriptions are in fact from Egypt, and nearly all are fine linen or other light-weight fabrics. Egypt was especially famous during the Fatimid period for its flax cultivation and finished linen textiles. (It also exported large quantities of raw flax for weaving in Sicily and Ifrqiya.)32 No less than twenty-two different varieties of linen, mostly named after localities, rulers, or type, have been identified in the Geniza documents.33 The irz institution under the Fatimids was not merely a court institution but was integrally connected to the economy as a whole. This is particularly true in view of the fact that fine clothing was a valuable commodity in the medieval Mediterranean economy and high quality textiles, even after having been worn, had considerable cash value. Textiles of various kinds often constituted a major portion of bridal trousseaux. irz textiles were classified as either kha (produced exclusively for the court) or #mma (available for purchase by the public). The sale of irz textiles to the public was a significant source of revenue for the Fatimid caliphs. In the late tenth/fourth century, the largest irz factories apparently provided an income of more than 200,000 dinars each daya prodigious sum. Income from the irz for the later Fatimid period is not reported, but must have been considerable given the dramatic increase in irz production at court and the penchant of the bourgeoisie, already discussed in Chapter Three above, for imitation of fashions and mores of the ruling class. The wealthier classes imitated the court by wearing garments with inscribed bands just as they addressed each other respectfully by their kunyas or used the honorific titles that had become commonplace by the eleventh century. In a twelfth-century Geniza document, the Jewish India trader Abraham b. Joseph b. Abraham b. Bundr b. \asan ordered a irz turban of dabq linen with his sons name embroidered

See for example, Norman A. Stillman, The Eleventh Century Merchant House of Ibn #Awkal: A Geniza Study, JESHO 16 (1973), pp. 28-37. 33 Goitein, Mediterranean Society I, pp. 104-105; Yedida K. Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt: According to the Trousseau Lists and Cognate Material from the Cairo Geniza, (Ph. D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1972), passim.

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on it as a gift for the latter.34 In another Geniza document, a contract of betrothal from around the year 1100, a groom promised to give his bride a khil#a immediately after the wedding.35 The fashion of haut bourgeois imitation of the court resulted ultimately in the production of fake irz with pseudo-inscriptions, i.e., of textiles with decorative bands that merely create the appearance of an inscription.36 The irz institution by the late twelfth century, then, had developed far beyond its original political uses at court into a widespread social and economic phenomenon. This is confirmed by the oft-quoted passage in Abu l-Fal al-Dimashqs Guide to the Beauties of Commerce (later twelfth century), in the section devoted to the two fine linens, dabq and sharb, which often formed the ground fabric for irz:
Peoples tastes vary in regard to the irz borders and the ornamented embroideries, but they are agreed in the preference of that which is of the finest thread, and closest of weave, of the purest white, of the best workmanship, red, and golden; and where dabq is concerned, whatever is beautiful even if raw; but when it is compressed it is not esteemed.37

irz and Robes of Honor under Ayyubids and Mamluks Although the Turkish military dynasties that succeeded the Fatimids employed a wide variety of uniforms, marks of rank, and heraldry, and although the ceremonial presentation of garments became so common that to be invested with a khil #a or to put on a khil #a simply came to mean that someone was appointed to a post, under their rule the irz institution itself declined, although to state that it was no longer functioning, as did Khnel and Day, is somewhat of an overstatement. The inscribed formulaic bands became less ubiquitous than previously (but then inscriptions on woven textiles appear to have declined in importance throughout much of the Islamic world
Westminster College Cambridge Cair. Misc. f. 9, ll. 19-20. TS 8 J 9, f. 9: wa-an yadfa# lah #ind al-dukhl khil #a. 36 Veronica Gervers, Rags to Riches in Rotunda 11 (1978-9), p. 28. 37 al-Dimashq, Kitb al-Ishra il Masin al-Tijra (Maba#at al-Mu"ayyad: Cairo, 1900/1318), translated in Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, p. 140.
35 34

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from the thirteenth/seventh century on), and finely embroidered garments and textiles came to be produced more and more by private entrepreneurs, for whom the regime was a primary customer.38 As Ibn Khaldn explains, irz was still very much cultivated in the Mamluk Empire as befitted such an important and civilized realm. However, irz was not manufactured within houses and palaces of the dynasty, nor was there a state official in charge of production. Rather, whatever the state required was woven by craftsmen familiar with the craft, from silk and pure gold. The gold embroidery during this period was called zarqash or muzarkash, which like the term irz, itself is a Persian loanword.39 There was even a special bazaar in Mamluk Cairo known as the Sq al-Khila#iyyn (the Market of the Khil#a Merchants). It was one of the most bustling markets in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Cairo because it sold so much clothing, mainly tailored garments, to the dynasty and to others as well.40 Some state-run ateliers do seem to have still existed at least into the early Mamluk period in Alexandria, Cairo, and Damascus, where among other things, the robe of honor known as ardwash (literally, wild animal chase) which had embroidered hunting scenes on them, were produced.41 The ardwash was a qab" (as noted in Chapter Three, various coats were the hallmark of Central Asian military lites of this period) decorated with a number of linen bands ( jkht) in varying colors mixed with gold-spangled linen (this gilded mixture was known as qaab). Between these bands was the embroidery which also contained gold. Like modern military uniforms, the ardwash could be upgraded when the wearer rose in rank. Instead of adding brass or stripes as in todays military, a fine gold brocade irz band was appliqud
38 Ernst Khnel, Zur Tiraz-Epigraphik der Abbasiden und Fatimiden, Festschrift Max Freiherrn von Oppenheim zum 70. Geburtstage, ed. Ernst F. Weidner (E. F. Weidner: Berlin, 1933), pp. 59-60; Florence E. Day, Dated irz in the Collection of the University of Michigan, Ars Islamica 4 (1937), p. 420; L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume: A Survey (Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952), p. 33. Concerning the overall decline in inscribed textiles, see Sheila S. Blair, Inscriptions on Medieval Islamic Textiles, in Islamische Textilkunst des Mittelalters: Aktuelle Probleme (Die Abegg Stiftung: Riggisberg, 1996), p. 103. 39 Ibn Khaldn, al-Muqaddima, p. 267; Rosenthal, The Muqaddimah, vol. II, p.67. 40 al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 104. 41 al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 227.

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on and fur trimming, usually squirrel (sinjb) and beaver (qundus) was also added. The ardwash was the robe of honor for the lesser amirs of a hundred.42 The robe of honor for lower officers just below the rank of the wearers of the ardwash was the khil #a kamkh. It too was a qab" and was made of a Chinese silk stuff, whence its name, which by Mamluk times was also produced in the Islamic world. The robe was monocolored, but had as its decoration an appliqud embroidered figure (naqsh) of the same material which was usually of a different color. Even when the appliqu was of the same sort of hue as the background field, there was some noticeable difference (tafwut baynahum). The khil #a kamkh was hemmed with beaver-trimmed squirrel. The uniforms of the troops themselves were also made of kamkh.43 The highest ranking amirs of a hundred wore a multilayered khil #a. The outercoat, or fawqn, was of Byzantine red satin (al-alas al-amar al-rm) embroidered with gold (araz zarkash dhahab) and had a squirrel fur lining. It also had what was perhaps a beaver overcape or a train (sajaf min hirihi ma#a al-ghish" qundus). Beneath the fawqn was another coat of yellow Byzantine satin. The ensemble was topped off with a gold-embroidered kalawta with gold clasps (kallb), a fine turban shawl, or shsh, of Indian red silk (lnas)44 with white silk attached

42 For a detailed description of the ardwash, see al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 227; partially trans. in Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, p. 150; see also Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 59. 43 For a survey of the principal sources on kamkh, which may be the same as the fabric kamkhn, see Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, index, s.v. The fourteenth/eighthcentury traveler Ibn Baa mentions kamkh as silk produced in Baghdad, Tabriz, and Nishapur. See Ibn Baa, Voyages dIbn Batoutah, ed. and trans. C. Defrmery and B. R. Sanguinetti (Imprimerie Nationale: Paris, 1914), p. 311. In their French translation, Defrmery and Sanguinetti identify the fabric as velours, without explanation or apparent justification. 44 For the identification of lnas or lnas as a red Indian silk, see Goitein, Mediterranean Society I, p. 454, n. 53; and Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 22, 68, 69, 84, and 173. Serjeant, Mayer, and Ashtor, all following Dozy, take it to be muslin from the one or two single references to the Mamluk shsh lnas (and the word shsh itself can indicate muslin in addition to a scarf). See Serjeant, Islamic Textiles, p. 217; Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 58; Ashtor, Histoire des prix et des salaires dans lOrient mdival (S.E.V.P.E.N.: Paris, 1969), pp. 151-152 (Ashtor also confuses it with llas, which was a Sicilian silk textile.); R. Dozy, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes II (Brill: Leiden, 1967), p. 551b.

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to the two ends on which are embroidered the sultans titles together with brilliant designs of colored silk. Their uniform also had the gold military belt, or minaqa, which varied according to the rank of the wearer (see Chapter Three for a description of the different grade belts).45 The finest khil #a that was bestowed upon civil servants, the socalled arbb al-aqlm (Men of the Pen) who included viziers and secretaries alike, was a white kamkh robe with plain silk embroidery (almuarraz bi-raqm arr sdhij) with squirrel and beaver lining and trim. Under the outer robe was another of green kamkh. The khil#a of lower-ranking bureaucrats lacked the lining, but still had beaver trim on the cuffs of the sleeves and along the front slit.46 The #ulam" generally did not wear khila# with irz bands or silks and satins unless they were also civil servants. The preacher, for example, in an illuminated manuscript of al-\arrs Maqmt that was probably done in Syria, around the year 1300, is depicted in a simple black robe with a white ara covering his turbaned head and falling over his shoulders and back. Whereas the three congregants are all shown dressed in colored robes with gold irz bands.47 Just as the irz institution declined, so the Egyptian textile industry (and indeed the economy in general) declined during the Mamluk period, so too did the quality of honorific robes. By the beginning of the sixteenth/tenth century, the next-to-last sultan, Qnawh al-Ghawr, was distributing khila# of colored cotton valued at a paltry three dinars (and by this time, these were highly debased dinars at that!) during the #^d al-Fir.48 The custom of presenting honorific robes made of precious fabric continued throughout the Muslim world until modern times. But the
45 al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 227; also Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 58. For an example of a woolen scalloped roundel with the title of sultan in mirror image, see Tissus dEgypte tmoins du monde arabe VIIIeXVe sicles: Collection Bouvier (Muse dart et dhistoire: Institut du Monde Arabe: Paris, 1993), p. 299, no. 194. 46 al-Maqrz, Khia II, p. 228; Mayer, Mamluk Costume, pp. 60-61 interprets this passage in al-Maqrz slightly differently. 47 British Museum, London, Add. 22.114, folio, 94 recto, in Richard Ettinghausen, Arab Painting (Skira: Lausanne, 1962), p. 164. 48 Ibn Iys, Bad"i# al-Zuhr f waq"i# al-Duhr IV, ed. P. Kahle and M. Mostafa (Matba#at al-Dawlah: Istanbul, 1931). pp. 104 and 247; also Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 63.

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great courts which were the primary locus for their distribution were outside the Arab world in Istanbul, Tabriz (and later Teheran). The modes were Turkish and Persian. The textiles and their decoration were sumptuous and including metallic and silk brocades of many sorts. But the irz bands that had been the the most distinctive hallmark of khila# under the great caliphates and the Turkish military regimes that ruled the Arab world throughout most of the Middle Ages were no longer the fashion.49
For beautiful examples of Ottoman, Safavid, and Qajar luxury garments and fabrics, see Patricia Lesley Baker, Islamic Textiles (British Museum Press: London, 1995), illustrations, pp. 85-142. Not all of the garments illustrated there were necessarily presented as honorifics.
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chapter seven VEILING IN THE ISLAMIC VESTIMENTARY SYSTEM

In the European Christian West, no aspect of the Islamic vestimentary system was more noteworthy, especially in early modern and modern times, than the ubiquity of womens veiling, except perhaps for the wearing of turbans by men. Thus for example, by the seventeenth century, to take up the turban was idiomatic in English for embracing Islam, and Muslims themselves regarded the turban as a badge of Islam (sm al-Islm) and a divider between unbelief and belief (jiza bayn al-kufr wa l-mn).1 Of course, veils of many different sorts existed for women in Europe, as did turban-like headdresses for both men and women in certain periods, but they never had either the universality or the manifest essentiality that they did in the Islamic world. In fact, to take the veil in the European context since medieval times meant to become a nun or to enter a convent.2 Since this once common form of female seclusion became much less common and in general was no longer socially sanctioned, being veiled came to be associated par excellence with Muslims and more particularly in recent years with Islamic fundamentalism. This has been particularly the case in France ever since the incident which took place in the autumn of 1989, when North African Muslim girls showed up at their public school in Creil, near Paris, with their heads covered with large scarves in the fashion of neo-Islamic dress. The incident, which was viewed by the French authorities as a transgression of Republican Frances laws of lacit (separation of Church and State) caused a national scandal and stirred an enormous debate throughout the country and the Francophone world. The cover of the prestigious magazine LExpress International (November 1994) bore the headline Foulard: Le Complot: Comment les Islamistes Infil1 See The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary 2 (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1971), p. 3433, s.v. turban, 1b. Concerning the place of the #imma (turban) in Islam, see Chapter One above. 2 Ibid., p. 3599, s.v. veil, I.1b.

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trent La France. Books with titles such as The Scarf and the Republic, The Veiled Ones of Islam, and Veiled Women: Fundamentalisms Unmasked, have proliferated as a result and have wide circulation.3 Books with evocative titles that include the word veil, such as Beyond the Veil, by a Moroccan feminist, or Behind the Veil in Arabia, by a Swedish ethnographer, clearly employ the word as a synechdoche for women in Arab and Islamic society. And despite the fact that veiling, seclusion, and sexuality have often been simplistic reductionist themes for Western Orientalist romanticists and polemicists, nevertheless, it has been in one form or another a very significant element in the history and sociology of Islamic attire.4 Although veils and veiling have been discussed in all of the previous chapters and will be discussed in the succeeding chapter on the modern period as well, it is appropriate to survey in a separate chapter this fundamental and lasting aspect of the traditional Islamic vestimentary system. Veiling in Early Islam The veil and veiling in general is referred to in Arabic as ijb. Like the word veil (from Latin vela) and its equivalent in other European languages, it can indicate both a garment and an actual curtain (and by extension, any separation). It is in the latter sense that the word is mainly used in the Qur"n.5 The divine effulgence is curtained off from humanity by a veil, an image which already existed in the Talmud.6 Eventually in Islamic society the sexual sanctity of respectable femininity came to be screened off as well, beginningas shall be seen belowwith the Prophets womenfolk. Although this is not
3 Franoise Gaspard and Fahrad Khosrokhavar, Le foulard et la Rpublique (La Dcouverte: Paris, 1995); Hide Taarji, Les voiles de lIslam (Eddif: Casablanca, 1991); Yolande Geadah, Femme voiles: intgrismes dmasqus (VLB: Montreal, 1996). 4 See the critiques in Nancy Lindisfarne-Tapper and Bruce Ingham, Approaches to the Study of Dress in the Middle East, in Languages of Dress in the Middle East, ed. Nancy Lindsfarne-Tapper and Bruce Ingham (Curzon Press: Surrey, 1997), pp. 1216. 5 As curtain or separation: Suras VII:46: XVII:45; XIX:17; XXXIII:53; XXXVIII:32; XLII:51. 6 Concerning the heavenly curtain (Hebrew/Aramaic pargod), see BT \agiga 15a.

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to say by any means that veiling was a total innovation in early Islam. The practice of women veiling which most commonly meant enveloping the body from head to toe and under certain circumstances wearing a cloth or mask over the face when going out was widespread in the eastern Mediterranean in Antiquity, long before the rise of Islam. Veiling in various ways and social contexts was practiced in ancient Persia, Mesopotamia, Israel, Greece, and pre-Islamic Arabia.7 Total envelopment or being screened off, which in Jhil poetry is referred to by such terms as sitr, sijf, and naf, seems to have been mainly the prerogative of royal and noble women.8 This total concealment was true ijb, and due to the Prophets exalted status, his wives wore veils early on. #$#isha is said to have worn a veil from the time of her marriage in the Spring of 623/1, although strict veiling does not seem to have been the general practice in the early Umma. Only around the fifth year of the Hijra (626-27) does Muammad receive a revelation that his womenfolk and those of the believers should envelop themselves for the sake of identification and protection in their jalbb (singular jilbb), which like the khimr and mir was primarily a womans outdoor wrap:
O Prophet, tell your wives, your daughters, and the womenfolk of the Believers to draw their jalbb close about them. That is most appropriate so that they be recognized and not be molested. God is forgiving and merciful. (Sura XXXIII:59)

Although we cannot identify any precise or specific time when ijb became universal, strict veiling practices probably evolved as the norm for middle and upper class Muslim women over the first two centuries of the Islamic era in the cities and towns of the caliphate, especially as following the Prophets sunna became increasingly important and the Traditionalists began collecting and producing an ever expanding body of adth. Imitating his personal practice was the Muslim parallel to imitatio Dei in Christendom.
For a brief introduction, with a survey of some important literature on veiling in antiquity, see Emile Marmorstein, The Veil in Judaism and Islam, Journal of Jewish Studies 5 (1954), pp. 1-11; for references on ancient Persia, see Jennifer M. Scarce, The Development of Womens Veils in Persia and Afghanistan, Costume 5 (1975), pp. 5-6 and the notes on p. 13. 8 See #Al al-Hshim, al-Mar"a fi l-Shi#r al-Jhil (Maba#a al-Ma#rif: Baghdad, 1960), pp. 79-80 and 146; and also Joseph Chelhod, \idjb, EI 2 3, p. 359.
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In another early Medinese sura, in which Muslim women are enjoined to be modest, it is their bosoms rather than their faces that they are specifically enjoined to veil:
Tell the female Believers that they should lower their gaze, guard their chastity, to reveal of their adornments only that which is apparent, and to cast their veils [khumur] over their bosoms. (Sura XXIV:31)

It is noteworthy that the references to veils and veiling in the canonical adth collections are not terribly numerous, nor are they exclusively in a female context. Furthermore, the Arabic vocabulary as one commonly finds in so many cultural spheres in the early days of Islam seems fluid and not always precise or technical. The verb taqanna#a, for example, often seems to indicate simply wrapping oneself in ones garment and not actually wearing a veil (qin#) And even the word qin# itself, like the word veil in English could mean a covering for the head or face.9 Likewise, the verbs khammara and ikhtamara can mean simply to cover ones face with ones outer wrap, such as an izr or a jilbb, and not necessarily wearing the face veil known as a khimr, which itself also seems to have been used at times in the sense of mantle or wrap.10 In the adth literature, veiling can simply mean to cover the breast. In one rather unclear tradition, the wives of the first emigrs to Medina, cut up their mur in order to fulfill the injunction of Sura XXIV:31 to veil their bosoms. Since the mir is an enveloping wrap, it is not clear why they should have to cut it in pieces, unless it was to make an actual face veil (khimr) that hung down over the breasts as well.11 The evidence, therefore, from the traditional literature is not overwhelming one way or the other as to how ubiquitous, how hermetic in nature, or even how important a social and moral issue was veiling in the early Islamic centuries.
9 See for example, al-Bukhr, a, Kitb al-Maghz, bb 16; or ibid., Kitb alAnbiy", bb 17, adth 4; and for numerous other instances, see A. J. Wensinck and J. P. Mensing, Concordance et indices de la tradition musulmane (Brill: Leiden, 1965), p. 475, s.v. taqanna#a. For a discussion of qin# in both senses of head and face covering, see R. P. A. Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtement chez les Arabes (Jean Mller: Amsterdam, 1845), pp. 375-378. 10 Muslim, a, Kitb al-Jan"iz, bb 103: wa-"khtamartu wa-taqanna#tu izr; alBukhar, a, Kitb al-Maghz, bb 34, adth 1: fa-khammartu wajhi bi-jilbb. 11 al-Bukhr, a, Kitb Tafsr al-Qur"n, Srat al-Nr, bb 12, adth 1 and 2: shaqaqna murahunna fa-"khtamarna bihi.

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Veiling Under the Great Caliphates and the Successor Military Dynasties As noted in Chapter Two, women in Umayyad art are represented clad, semiclad, and unclad. Even clad, they are invariably without a face veil and usually without a head veil.12 However, this palace art, which in any case retains many elements of Hellenistic prototypes, probably depicts most often the paradisical houris or harem slavegirls rather than normal urban women. In the outdoor genre scenes, as for example in Qusayr #Amra (see Chapter Two), the women are probably young peasant girls who had to perform work and would not therefore be veiled either. As already noted in Chapter Three above, medieval manuscript illuminations five or six centuries later show peasant women both at work in the village and in the fields totally unveiled (see Pls. 53 and 28). By the #Abbasid period, veiling is clearly taken for granted. The arbiter of fashion and good taste al-Washsh" mentions a face veil, miqna#a or miqna#, as a basic item of female outdoor attire along with a headdress, mi #jar, and an enveloping wrap, izr. Al-Washsh" mentions the veils of Nishapur as being particularly fashionable, and according to a number of medieval geographers, other Iranian cities such as Jurjan and Sarakhs were also centers of veil production.13 Other authors from the #Abbasid period mention the niqb, a masklike veil that usually covered the entire face and had two holes for the eyes (the Arabic verb naqaba means to bore a hole), as being the common veil worn by women when going out of doors in this period. As is so often the case with Arabic clothing vocabulary, the niqb was often more or less synonymous with other terms. For example, the wawa (whose very name is derived from the verb meaning to peep through a hole or crack) and the common burqu# seem at certain
12 One example of a woman, a very Hellenistic personification of Fortune, with a head veil is from the throne room at Qusayr #Amra. See Martin Almagro Basch et al., Qusayr #Amra: Residencia y baos omeyas en el desierto de Jordania (Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Direccin General de Relaciones Culturales: Madrid, 1975), Pl. IXb. 13 al-Washsh", Kitb al-Muwashsh aw al-arf wa l-uraf" (Maba#at al-I#timd: Cairo, 1953/1372), p. 163; al-Muqaddas, Asan al-Taqsm f Ma#rifat al-Aqlm, ed. M. J. de Goeje (Brill: Leiden, 1906), p. 367; Yqt, Kitb Mu#jam al-Buldn III [Jacuts Geographisches Wrterbuch], ed. F. Wstenfeld (F. A. Brockhaus: Leipzig, 1868), p. 72.

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times (as for example today in the Persian Gulf region) not to have been appreciably different from the niqb (see fig. 9)14 By the High Middle Ages, the niqb seems to have become a basic part of the feminine wardrobe and one of the most common face veils in the Levant. In fact, it is one of the most frequently listed items in the Geniza trousseaux. It came in a wide variety of colors, including white, pearl, grey, blue and black, with white and light colors being most common. Nuqub could be decorated with silk embroidered, gilded, or decorated with colored borders. An individual niqb during the Fatimid and Ayyubid periods could range in price from one half to two dinars. (It should be recalled that two dinars was sufficient to maintain a working class family for a month.)15 Oddly enough, the niqb is depicted only extremely rarely in medieval illuminated manuscripts despite the fact that it is such a common item in the Geniza trousseaux (see Pl. 32). The Geniza trousseau lists make it eminently clear that by Fatimid times, veiling was as basic for Jewish women (and one might suppose for Middle Eastern Christian women too) as it was for Muslims contrary to the assertions of some historians, among them the distinguished Salo Baron, to the contrary.16 More than half the clothing names in the Geniza trousseaux are for veils, wraps and headcoverings.17
14 See U. Wikan, Behind the Veil in Arabia: Women in Oman (Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore, 1982), pp. 88-108; and Dawn Chatty, The Burqa Face Cover: An Aspect of Dress in Southeastern Arabia, in Languages of Dress in the Middle East ed. Nancy Lindisfarne-Tapper and Bruce Ingham (Curzon Press: Surrey, 1997), pp. 127-148. 15 See the sources cited in Muhammad Manazir Ahsan, Social Life Under the Abbasids (Longman: London and New York, 1979), p. 67, n. 327; also Muammad Murta al-Zabd, Tj al-#Ars min Jawhir al-Qms (Dar Maktabat al-\ayat: Beirut, n.d., repr. of Blq Press: Cairo 1306-1310 A.H., I, p. 492; and Dozy, Vtements, pp. 424-426. For the Geniza period, see Yedida K. Stillman, Female Attire in Medieval Egypt: According to the Trousseau Lists and Cognate Materials from the Cairo Geniza (Ph. D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1972), pp. 175-178, where the data from some thirty trousseau lists are reported. 16 Salo W. Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews III (Columbia University Press and Jewish Publication Society: New York and Philadelphia, 1957), p. 142. 17 See Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 39-63 (wraps and mantles); pp. 116-202 (headgear and veils). For a detailed discussion of veiling in the Islamic Middle Ages from Geniza and rabbinic sources, see Mordechai Akiva Friedman, Halakha as Evidence of Sexual Life among Jews in Muslim Countries in the Middle Ages, Pe#amim 45 (1990), pp. 91-99 [in Hebrew].

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How strict was Jewish female veiling prior to the Islamic conquest of the Near East is not clear. The talmudic evidence is ambiguous, and it appears that the uncovered head was considered to have been far more offensive than the uncovered face.18 But what seems to have been an easy acculturation by medieval Oriental Jewry into the Islamic vestimentary system can be explained inter alia by the fact that Judaism and Islam shared similar concepts of corporal modesty, similar notions about women as beings in the social order, and a similar halakhic/shar# legal outlook which included sartorial matters in its purview.19 Both Muslims and Jews shared the notion that a woman by her very nature required protection. Her innate weakness and her sexuality were a potential source of dishonor. Indeed, a mans #ir (honor) can in polite Arabic speech to this day mean his wife. Similarly, a woman is a mans house, a euphemism very common in Hebrew and also found in Arabic. In earlier tribal, warrior society, protecting honor and home simply meant physical defense. In the cosmopolitan setting of the medieval Islamic town and city, it meant veiling, chaperoning, and in the extreme, secluding. But these latter practices were never feasible in peasant, village society since women there had to help in the fields. In thirteenth/seventh- and fourteenth/ eighth-century illuminations of the Maqmt of al-\arr and the Kitb al-Diryq of pseudo-Galen, village women are depicted as unveiled both in and out of doors (see Pls. 28 and 53).20 Normally servant girls, entertainers, beggars, and other demi-monde types did not veil either.21
Cf. for example Mishna Tractate Shabbat 6:6 that mentions Arabian (presumably Jewish) women going out veiled (Hebrew re#ulot), but at the same time implying that not all Jewish women in late Antiquity did so. Mishna Tractate Nashim 7:6, on the other hand makes it clear that for any Jewish woman to go out with her head uncovered (ve-roshah paru#a) was an impermissible breach of decorum and was grounds for divorce without the return of dowry. For more evidence, see Marmorstein, The Veil in Judaism and Islam, pp. 1-11. 19 For a broader discussion of shared perspectives, see Yedida K. Stillman, Attitudes toward Women in Traditional Near Eastern Societies, in Studies in Judaism and Islam Presented to Shelomo Dov Goitein, ed. S. Morag, I. Ben-Ami, and N. A. Stillman (Magnes Press: Jerusalem, 1981), pp. 345-360. 20 See, for example, Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5847, fol 138; and ibid., ms arabe 2964, fol. 22. 21 Ibid., fols. 139v and 140(servants); Bodleian Library (Oxford), Marsh 458, fol. 65v (servant); and British Museum (London) Or 1200, fol. 106 (singer); Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3465, fol 131v (what appears to be a female member of a band of thieves).
18

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The wearing of the veil eventually had become so absolutely de rigeur in public in the polite urban setting that uncovering the face (kashf al-wajh) by the High Middle Ages took on the general idiomatic meaning in Arabic of being exposed to shame or as one says in English losing face.22 Women might appear unveiled in public in times of crisis as a symbolic act of their distress and their helplessness as supplicants. Thus, for example, the women of Damascus go out into the streets unveiled at the approach of the Mongol Ilkhn Ghazn in 1300/699, and the mothers of two princes suspected of sedition plead with uncovered faces on behalf of their sons before the Mamluk Sultan al-Malik al-Kmil Sha#bn (ruled 1345-1377/746-778).23 Women are frequentlyalthough by no means alwaysdepicted with their faces unveiled in medieval Maqmt manuscript illuminations of courtroom scenes in which they are standing before a q (see Pl. 54).24 Women in mourning also appeared unveiled in funeral processions. In a mid-thirteenth-century Maqmt illustration, barefaced women are shown wailing and beating their faces at a graveside (see Pl. 55). This was not apparently always the custom, since the tenth/fourthcentury theologian Ibn Baa criticizes this practice as bid#a, or heretical innovation.25 The only apparent exception to the absolute ubiquity of urban female veiling in the medieval Arab world seems to have been in the Muslim West, particularly in Spain. As already mentioned in Chapter Four, there is ample evidence that during the tenth/fourth, eleventh/fifth, and twelfth/sixth centuries (and therefore, presumably earlier as well) not all free urban women went about veiled all of the time. Mlik jurists decried the apparently widespread permissibility among the common folk of allowing their fiances and wives to appear unveiled
22 See S. D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society II (University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1967-1988), p. 142. 23 See these and other examples cited by L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume: A Survey (Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952), p. 7, n. 6. 24 In addition to Pl. 54, see also Bibliothque Nationale (Paris), ms arabe 3929, fol. 54; ms arabe 6094, fol. 139; British Museum (London) Add 22114, fol. 164. 25 See Ibn Baa, La profession de foi dIbn Batta, traditionniste et jurisconsulte musulman dcole hanbalite, mort en Irak #Ukbar en 387/997, ed. and trans. Henri Laoust (Damascus, 1958), p. 152.

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before men who were not immediate family. This is further confirmed by the illustrations of the Andalusian romance of Bay waRiy, in which women invariably are depicted unveiled (see Pl. 39).26 The most likely explanation for this relaxed attitude is the very different social composition of Andalusian society with its very large European non-Muslim component and the considerable Berber element in the population. Veiling had not historically been as strict among either of these groups as it had been among Middle Easterners. Furthermore, al-Andalus had become an independent principality at the western extreme of the Dr al-Islm under Umayyad rule as of 756/138. The regime established by #Abd al-Ramn I and other refugees at first tried to replicate as much as possible the society of the Syrian caliphate under which veiling may not as yet have been as strict and as universal as it became under the #Abbasids who supplanted them. And lastly, it may also have been due to the freer, less secluded position of women in Islamic Spain than that of their counterparts in the Middle East.27 In North Africa, too, not all women veiled until the Almohad period. This lack of strictness in veiling was clearly due to the overwhelming Berber population whichespecially in the Further Maghrebwas not fully islamized, much less arabized, well into the Middle Ages. The prudish Mahd Ibn Tmart was both embarrassed and scandalized at the sight of unveiled women of both high and low class in Algeria and Morocco when he returned from the Middle East in around 1116/510 or 1117/511. Presumably, veiling became more widespread in the Maghreb under the Almohads and their successors.28

Evidence for How Medieval Veils Actually Looked Artistic evidence for how different types of veils known from the literary sources actually looked becomes far clearer for the late #AbIn one single illumination, a servant woman delivering a message to the male lover, draws her cloak across her face (see Pl. 40). 27 See the fairly numerous sources cited above in Chapter Four, n. 16. 28 See nn. 23-24 in Chapter Four above.
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basid, Ayyubid, and most especially the Mamluk period. Mayer has pointed to three types of face veils that can be distinguished for the latter period: a black mesh or net covering the entire face, a dark cloth covering the entire face, but with two eye-holes, and a light or dark cloth covering the entire face below the eyes (see Pl. 56). These are the miqna#a, which in its wider version was called qin#,29 the niqb, and the burqu#, respectively. #Abd al-Raziq adds to these three the sha#riyya, a short horse hair or goat-wool net that fell down from the head to just below the eyes. This last veil was already common in the early Ayyubid period as the Cairo Geniza trousseau lists testify. They came in colors ranging from aloes wood (i.e. blackish), to green, pomegranate, and red. The late fifteenth-century Italian traveler Leonardo Frescobaldi mentions that the more noble [women of Cairo] carry a black tamin before their eyes so that they cannot be seen, but they see others very well. Based on an actual veil excavated at Quseir al-Qadim on the Red Sea, Gillian Eastwood has identified what she designates as another type, but is actually a variant of the niqb.30 In fact it is most probable that all of these veils came in varying forms and colors according to fashion. However, these stylistic variations which could be greater or lesser are not usually obvious from either the manuscript illuminations or the literary references and can often only be ascertained from the Geniza trousseau descriptions or from actual relics. (For example, a Mamluk period veil excavated at Qasr Ibrim in Upper Egypt is of crimson silk and is edged with brown wool braiding.)31
29 For this distinction between the miqna#a and qin#, Muammad b. Muammad Ibn al-\jj, al-Madkhal (Al-Maba#a al-Miriyya bil-Azhar: Cairo, 1969/1348), p. 144. It is not entirely clear whether or not the legal-minded Ibn al-\jj actually could himself visually distinguish between the two since he is citing a variety of lexicographical and historical sources in defining these terms. 30 Mayer, Mamluk Costume, p. 73; #Abd ar-Raziq, La femme au temps des Mamlouks (Institut Franais dArchologie Orientale: Cairo, 1973), p. 245; Stillman, Female Attire of Medieval Egypt, pp. 195-196, where the earliest dated trousseau listing a sha#riyya is from 1117Bodl. MS Heb. a 3 (2873), f. 42although some of the others may even be earlier; Leonardo Frescobaldi, Giorgio Gucci and Simone Sigoldi, Visit to the Holy Places of Egypt, Sinai, Palestine and Syria in 1384, T. Bellorini and E. Hoade Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, No. 6 (Franciscan Press: Jerusalem, 1948), p. 47; Gillian Eastwood, A Medieval Face-Veil from Egypt, Costume 17 (1983), p. 36. 31 Eastwood, A Medieval Face-Veil from Egypt, p. 35. For an example of a

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It is somewhat puzzling that the small, mask-like niqb, which is frequently among the items of a brides trousseau in the Geniza, is only rarely depicted in medieval manuscript illuminations. Perhaps it was worn only in particular circumstances, a public indoor space, such as a mosque or synagogue, rather than in the street. The clearest single illustration of women wearing the niqb depicts them sitting in the womens gallery of a mosque (see Pl. 32). Or perhaps it came in a smaller indoor and a larger outdoor version. In several medieval illustrations, women are depicted wearing a sac-like veil covering the entire head with either two round eyeholes or a longer rectangular cut-out across both eyes for vision. These latter veils which were of dark fabric, such as black or red, were held in place by a band of cloth (#iba, or in the Eastern part of the Islamic worldsar band), and they seem to be shown only in outdoor scenes (see Pl. 19).32 The great variety of face veils that were common in most of the Arab world during the Middle Ages declined for reasons that are not entirely clear after the Ottoman conquest of the Levant and much of North Africa. By early modern times, it seems that in most Arab countries, the majority of urban Muslim women wore one particular regional style of face veil. In Egypt, it was the harness-like burqu# which was normally either of white muslin or, alternatively, coarse dark crepe (see Pl. 57), although sharft, or descendants of the Prophet Muammad, sometimes wore a green one. In Algeria, it was the the small #ijr, which somewhat resembled a surgeons mask and was of light, white fabric. In Morocco, it was the lithm, a long white rectangular cloth (in the Andalusian towns of the northern part of the country, it was triangular) that tied behind the head and hung from just below the eyes down to the chest (see Pls. 58 and 59). In the countries of the Arabian Gulf, it was the niqb, also called burqu#, which in that region was a dark upper- or full face mask of stiff material with two eye holes (see fig. 9). The Ottoman conquest also
crimson veil in a mid-thirteenth/sixth-century manuscript, probably from Mosul, of the Kitb al-Diryq, see Bibliothque Nationale (Paris), ms arabe 2964, fol. 32 For the sac-like over-the-head kind of veil with eyeholes, see Academy of Sciences Oriental Institute (St. Petersburg) ms S. 23, p. 288; and for the variant with the entire area over the eyes and eyebrows cut away, see Nationalbibliothek (Vienna) A.F. 10, fol. 3, in Dorothea Duda, Islamische Handschriften II Tafelband (sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften: Vienna, 1992), Farbtafel I.

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brought a number of Turkish fashions into the Arab world, including the face veil known as the yashmaq (see Pl. 60). This was similar to the burqu#, and was often simply synonymous with it. It was longer than the regular burqu#, reaching down as far as the waist or lower. In Iraq, which was at times under Iranian rule, the bsha (from Persian pa), a black net of woven horsehair covering the entire face and similar to the sha#riyya of the Middle Ages was the principal face veil (see Pl. 61). The face screens of this sort, called sitra and sharshaf were also the norm for Yemeni women. In Dhofar (ufr), southern Arabia, this same veil is to this day referred to as niqb, a good example of the fluidity and interchangeability, not only of veils, but a range of vestimentary terms.33 Throughout the length and breadth of the Arab world during this period, the large enveloping outer wraps such as the abara and milya (mul"a) in Egypt, the safsr in Tunisia and Libya, the "ik, milafa, fa, izr, and takhlla in Morocco and Algeria, could all be drawn across a womans face as a veil as well, and be kept in place either by one hand or being held in the teeth (see Pl. 62). This style is shown in several medieval manuscripts from both the Middle East and the Maghreb (see Pl. 40).34 The same was true for less ample head scarves and shawls (as for example the mandl and the minshafa worn in the Levant and the fishtl, sabaniyya, and tastmal worn in the Maghreb). The French writer Castellan in the early nineteenth century notes that Turkish women could crisscross their head shawls over their shoulders and faces a thousand different ways, either to hide a de-

See Edward William Lane, The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (J. M. Dent & Sons: London, 1908), pp. 46-51 and the illustrations there; Georges Marais, Le costume musulman dAlger (Librairie Plon: Paris, 1930), p. 103; Wikan, Behind the Veil, pp. 88-108; Aida Sami Kanafani, Aesthetics and Ritual in the United Arab Emirates (American University of Beirut: Beirut, 1983), pp. 64-72; Yedida K. Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry (University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, 1979), p. 89; al-Libs wa l-Zna fi l-#lam al-#Arab. (Sharikat al-Mab#t al-Tawz wal-Nashr: Beirut, 1992), p. 21; Yedida K. Stillman and Norman A. Stillman, Libs: Iran, EI2 V, p. 749; Carla Makhlouf, Changing Veils: Women and Modernisation in North Yemen (Croom Helm: London, 1979), pp. 32-33; Chatty, The Burqa Face Cover,, p. 146, Fig. 37. 34 In addition to Pl. 40 from the Islamic West, see the courtoom scene in Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3932, fol. 15 and Pl. 54.

33

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fect, or to reveal something attractive.35 Interestingly, the anthropologist Aida Kanafani in her study of aesthetics in the United Arab Emirates, notes along the exact same lines that the burqu# worn by women there is considered to beautify the face by covering what is considered ugly and by enhancing what is considered beautiful. This dual argument that the veil both covers blemishes and highlights what is beautiful is made by others as well, both Muslim and European.36

Modern Times The question of veiling, or ijb in the broadest sense, became a major issue in the modern era with the Islamic worlds encounter with modernity itself. It was at first the women in the non-Muslim minority communities who began to abandon the veil during the nineteenth century. They were facilitated in this by a number of factors. First, dhimms were more likely to come into direct contact with Westerners than were Muslims as European commercial expansion increased in the region. Already for several centuries, native Christians and Jews had acted as intermediaries between the foreigners and the local population. They were more likely to know and certainly more willing to learn foreign languages. And during the nineteenth century in particular, they were more likely to avail themselves of the opportunities for European protection under the Capitulation agreements which effectively removed them from their humble dhimm status and turned them into European subjects. Finally, they came to adopt certain symbolic manifestations of a modern, that is western, identity in certain elements of their manners, lifestyle and material culture, including dress. Western dress, like other European accoutrements, came to be regarded as marks of prestige. As Daniel Schroeter has pointed out, it was not uncommon for Moroccan Jew35

A. L. Castellan, Moeurs, usages, costumes des Othomans et abrg de leur histoire VI (Nepveu: Paris, 1812), p. 40. 36 Kanafani, Aesthetics and Ritual in the United Arab Emirates, p. 72; see also ibid., pp. 68-69. For other examples of this argument, see Grard de Nerval, The Women of Cairo: Scenes of Life in the Orient I (G. Routledge & Sons: London, 1929), p. 3.

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ish merchants who had foreign ties to have two parlours in their homes, one in the traditional Moroccan style, the other decorated with European furnishings.37 No less important than cultural influences that came through commercial contacts was the formative educational influence of the Alliance Isralite Universelle schools for Jews and the missionary schools for Jews and Christiansand both of which included schools for girlsthat spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa during the nineteenth century. In addition to providing a modern education, these institutions transmittedor to be more precise, inculcatedWestern values and tastes as part of their civilizing mission.38 The process of abandoning the veil by Christian and Jewish women in the Arab world proceeded gradually throughout the second half of the nineteenth and rapidly throughout the twentieth century in those cities of the Middle East and North Africa where European influences were strongest and where there was a considerable nonMuslim population. In Beirut, for example, Christian women had abandoned the veil by 1890.39 This process may also have been facilitated by the fact that the segregation of women among Christians and Jews was never quite as total and hermetic as in Islamic society. For example, we know from the Geniza records that even in the Middle Ages there was no real arm in Jewish (and presumably Christian) homes.40 In general, it would appear that the abandonment of the veil was a progessive process, with women first wearing western, or at least western-influenced clothing, indoors while still going in public in full or modified ijb.41
37 Daniel Schroeter, Merchants of Essaouira: Urban Society and Imperialim in Southwestern Morocco, 1844-1886 (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1988), p. 59. 38 On the influence of these schools, see Norman A. Stillman, The Jews of Arab Lands in Modern Times (Jewish Publication Society: Philadelphia, 1991), pp. 18-25 and the additional bibliography cited there in the notes. See also the specific testimony of the Coptic intellectual, Salma Ms, who attributes the abandonment of the veil by his mother, sister, and others to the influence of Protestant missionaries, in his Tarbiyat Salma Ms (Dr al-Ktib al-Mir: Cairo, 1948), p. 25; The Education of Salama Ms, tr. L. O. Schuman (E. J. Brill: Leiden, 1961), p. 15. 39 Gabriel Baer, Population and Society in the Arab East (Routledge and Kegan Paul: London, 1964), p. 42. 40 Goitein, A Mediterranean Society I, p. 71. 41 Thus the conclusions of Scarce for nineteenth-century Egyptian Armenian

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The abandonment of the veil by Muslim women came much later and more slowly than in the case of the Christians and Jews. This lag accords with Tofflers general observation that minorities experiment; while majorities cling to the forms of the past.42 The earliest instances of Muslim women abandoning the veil began outside the Arab lands in Ottoman Turkey. Already in the nineteenth century upper class women among the modernizing and westernizing lites of the Tanzimat era began wearing European or European-inspired clothing indoors though still wearing a face veil, the yashmaq, outside, a similar evolutionary progression to that of the non-Muslim women, as noted above. Gradually upper class women began wearing thin, gauzy face veils, both black and white, that revealed the features beneath. As Micklewright has pointed out, this evolutionary process began with minor elements of the new foreign fashion, followed by newer garments integrating these elements, and later still, new accessories. She further observed that the last elements of the traditional vestimentary system to be abandoned were the ones most heavily invested with social or symbolic importance: headgear, or garments worn in a ritual context.43 And these, of course, included both face and head veils. Already early in the twentieth century some women in Ottoman Turkey were wearing European-style face veils that were attached to large European-style womens hats as a transition from indigenous Islamic vestimentary norms to Western fashion (Pl. 63), although this particular compromise does not seem to have penetrated the Arab countries until slightly later.44

and Greek women. See Jennifer Scarce, Womens Costume of the Near and Middle East (Unwin Hyman: London and Sydney, 1987), p. 131. 42 Alvin Toffler, Future Shock (Bantam Books: New York, 1971), p. 221. 43 Nancy Micklewright, Womens Dress in Nineteenth-Century Istanbul: Mirror of a Changing Society (Ph. D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1986), p. 217. In addition to Micklewright, ibid., and Scarce, Womens Costume of the Near and Middle East; see also John Norton, Faith and Fashion in Turkey, in Languages of Dress in the Middle East, pp. 155-157, and in particular p. 156, Fig. 39, showing An Ottoman woman dressed la Franka. 44 See Byron D. Cannon, Nineteenth-Century Arabic Writings on Women and Society: The Interim Role of the Masonic Press in CairoC(AL-LA$"IF, 18851895), IJMES 17 (1985), pp. 463-484.

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Late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Egypt was the first major battle ground in the Muslim Arab world between the forces of religious and social traditionalism and the emerging forces of modernizing religious and social reform. The question of to veil or not to veil (ijb versus sufr) was one of the burning issues in the clash between the two camps. The issue of improving the overall status of Arab women was raised in the late nineteenth century by reform-minded male thinkers such as Rifa#a Tataw (1801-1873) and #Al Mubrak (1824-1893).45 But it was another male intellectual Qsim Amn (1863-1908), who in 1899, published his famous book calling for womens liberation, entitled Tarr al-Mar"a (The Liberation of the Woman). In this and a book that appeared one year later, entitled al-Mar"a al-Jadda (The New Woman), he advocated sufr as one of the steps needed for womens emancipation and social progress.46 Amns call for unveiling along with other reforms, elicited other books attacking his position and defending the veil and seclusion, such as Muammad Tal#at \arbs Tarbiyat al-Mar"a wa l-\ijb (The Education of Women and Veiling/Seclusion) and Fal al-Khib fi l-Mar"a wa l-\ijb (The Decisive Oration on Women and Veiling/Seclusion).47 The debate pro and con over the merits of ijb versus sufr went on not only in the general press, but also in the new womens journals and magazines that had begun to appear as of the late nineteenth century and flourished in the first decades of the twentieth. And in the womens press, not all of the writers by any means were advocates of unveiling.48
Ibid., pp. 469-473. Qsim Amn, Tarr al-Mar"a (Maktabat al-Taraqq: Cairo, 1899 and numerous later editions); English translation: The Liberation of Women: A Document in the History of Egyptian Feminism (American University in Cairo Press: Cairo, 1992); idem, al-Mar"a al-Jadda (n.p.: Cairo, 1900 and numerous later editions); English translation in Mary Flounders Arnett, Qasim Amin and the Beginnings of the Feminist Movment in Egypt, (Ph. D. diss., Dropsie College, 1965). 47 For a summary of the debate between Amn and Tal#at \arb, see Juan Ricardo Cole, Feminism, Class, and Islam in Turn-of-the-Century Egypt, IJMES 13:4 (November 1981), pp. 402-404. 48 For a thorough survey of the various stances in the Egyptian womens press, see Beth Baron, Unveiling in Early Twentieth Century Egypt: Practical and Symbolic Considerations, Middle Eastern Studies 25 (1989), pp. 370-386; and eadem, The
46 45

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This was because veiling had always been an indicator of social class, and traditionally not only peasant villagers, but many of the women of the lower orders (as Lane put it), went about in public unveiled.49 During the first decade of the twentieth century, some upper class Egyptian women began adopting the transitional compromise between strict ijb and outright sufr already seen in late nineteenthcentury Turkey by wearing sheer, transparent veils that maintained the formality of veiling, while revealing all. Transparent veils were nothing new, of course. As already noted in Chapter Three, medieval manuscript illuminations depict some women wearing sheer veils through which the facial features are entirely clear. The French observer de Guerville got the impression that the thickness of the veil was purely a class issue. Whilst the women one meets on foot in the street, he noted, have an impenetrable veil hiding the lower part of the face, those whom one sees passing rapidly in a smart brougham or landau wear only the lightest white gauze, which in no way hides their features.50 But the social reality of veiling was more complex. As noted above, in addition to peasant villagers, the very poorest urban women went about entirely unveiled. A rare few among the earliest feminists, such as Nabawiyya Ms (1890-1951) unveiled toward the end of the first decade of the new century.51 Many of the women of the wealthiest and highest class (that is old wealth as opposed to nouveau riche) still practiced the strictest ijb (in both senses of seclusion and veiling). And many intellectuals, male and female, who supported education for women and other modernist reforms nevertheless, opposed sufr on a variety of grounds. This staunch opposition can in part be explained as a nationalist cultural response to the
Womens Awakening in Egypt: Culture, Society, and the Press (Yale University Press: New Haven, 1994), pp. 34, 62, 76 et passim. 49 On unveiled women in the early nineteenth century, see Lane, The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, p. 51; see also the remarkable photograph of an unveiled Egyptian washerwoman taken in the mid-nineteenth century by the Frenchman Pierre Trmaux in Sarah Graham-Brown, Images of Women: The Portrayal of Women in Photography of the Middle East 1860-1950 (Columbia University Press: New York, 1988), p. 37. 50 A. B. de Guereville, New Egypt (William Heinemann: London, 1906), p. 148, cited in Cole, Feminism, Class, and Islam in Turn-of-the-Century Egypt, p. 398. 51 Margot Badran, Feminists, Islam, and Nation: Gender and the Making of Modern Egypt (Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1995), pp. 23 and 67-69.

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British who had occupied Egypt since 1882.52 Some women of the new middle class, who began to enjoy an unprecedented degree of mobility, actually considered the veil as a form of protection as they ventured out more into public. One of the most notable and dramatic moments in the progressive abandonment of the veil in Egypt was in 1923, when the famous Egyptian feminist Hud Sha#rw (1879-1947) solemly cast her veil into the Mediterranean as she returned home from a womens congress in Rome. She publicly repeated the gesture, by drawing back her face veil as she stepped off the train at the Cairo railway station to the cheers of her followers who were waiting to greet her. Her symbolic action was soon followed by many upper and upper-middle class women, but not by women of the petite bourgeoisie, which remained the last stronghold of tradition. Within a generation, the veil had practically disappeared in Egypt, except among the latter.53 Being the great center of both modern and traditional Arab culture, by far the most populous Arab nation, and the primary producer and distributor of motion pictures in Arabic, it came to have a contributing influence, along with other factors already mentioned such as religious and cultural missionary schools, on the progressive abandonment of the veil by women in other Arab countries. With regard to the influence of the film industry on unveiling, it is interesting to note how the great Arab singing and movie star Umm Kulthm, who in her early publicity photos in the 1920s and very early 30s was shown with her head covered with head veils, such as the ara, by 1932 was appearing in portraits with her head uncovered.54 The progressive abandonment of the veil was not just a matter of some women suddenly removing their traditional outer covering once and for all, while others still had not. Many women appeared in public veiled or unveiled according to the occasion, as for example, when traveling abroad. In the 1920s, women, who were normally
See Cole, Feminism, Class, and Islam in Turn-of-the-Century Egypt, pp. 391, 393, 399, 402, and 404. 53 See the editors introduction to Hud Sha#rw, Harem Years: Memoirs of an Egyptian Feminist, ed. and trans. Margot Badran (Virago: London, 1986), p. 7; also A. H. Hourani, The Vanishing Veil: A Challenge to the Old Order, UNESCO Courier (January, 1956), p. 37. 54 Graham-Brown, Images of Women, pp. 188-191, photos 17-21.
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veiled, removed them during nationalist demonstrations (the exact reverse of what took place in Iran during the final years of the shah). Even some of the early feminists who gave up wearing the face veil, such as Hud Sha#rw, continued for some time to keep the head covered. She was always depicted with a head scarf in her official portraits. In fact, this kind of headcovering is today what is in fact considered ijb by many Muslims, including the so-called fundamentalists.55 The transitional nature of the period of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s in Egypt with regard to unveiling is perhaps best represented by a photograph of the Wafd Womens Committee that appeared on the cover of the popular pictorial magazine al-Muawwar on March 13, 1925. Most of the women belong to either the upper class or professional middle class. Of the twenty-two women shown, four are wearing face veils, another five are barefaced but wear the abara, or head veil and body wrap, whereas all of the rest are in European attire and are wearing Western hats.56 Unveiling in Egypt received important official sanction when in 1937, the Fatwa Committee of the al-Azhar, the premier institution of Sunn Islamic higher learning, declared that the \anaf legal school, which represented the majority rite in Egypt and the Levant was not opposed to unveiling. It further declared that the Mlik school, which was the predominant rite in the Maghreb and had significant representation in Egypt, did not consider veiling a requirement. As Badran has astutely observed, this was merely a case of recognizing what women themselves had already achieved and what the peasant majority had always enjoyed.57

55 Badran, Feminism, Islam, and Nation, pp. 23, 236-237, and 314-315, nn. 79-84. Some women did not even wait till they were abroad to remove the veil, but did so shortly after they boarded ships bound for Europe. See the colorful description of this shipboard metamorphosis in E. L. Butcher, Things Seen in Egypt (Seeley and Co.: London, 1910), p. 63. For pictures Sha#rw wearing the head scarf from a magazine of the 1930s and on a placard from the 1940s, see Graham-Brown, Images of Women, p. 227. 56 The photo is reproduced in Graham-Brown, Images of Women, p. 226. 57 Badran, Feminists, Islam, and Nation, pp. 94-95.

veiling in the islamic vestimentary system The Modern Resurgence of Veiling: \ijb Old and New

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By the mid-twentieth century, ijb was on the decline to such an extent among educated modern women in many Muslim countries that even as astute an observer of the region such as Albert Hourani, could write about the vanishing veil.58 However, even as he wrote, there were Arab countries where complete veiling was still universal, such as Saudi Arabia, or was practiced by the majority of women, as in Morocco. Most married urban Moroccan women continued wearing the lithm face veil until the early 1970s, and in Saudi Arabia total veiling in public remains universal to this day by force of law. But at the same time that veiling was supposedly all but disappearing throughout the Arab world, another phenomenon was taking place, namely reveiling in old and new forms. The issue of ijb versus sufr (or raf # al-ijb, lifting of the veil, as it was also referred to in feminist rhetoric) had never been entirely resolved even in the most outwardly westernized non-Arab and Arab Islamic countries, such as Turkey and Lebanon, and it could still evoke considerable emotion even in the mid-twentieth century. The American Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, for example, relates that during a visit to Lebanon in 1951, he witnessed a man beat, curse, and drive off his wife who had allowed her veil to slip. And then, the husband returned to beg Douglass pardon for the womans shameful behavior. In another telling anecdote, the anthropologist Daniel Lerner reports the remarks made to him by a liberated young Turkish college student at the University of Ankara. Commenting on women who still wore the veil, she is quoted as saying, Id like to tear it from their faces!59 Not only had the issue of veiling or not veiling remained an issue even in those countries where the battle seems to have been all but won by the proponents of sufr, but there were powerful social forces current in the Islamic world that contributed to the revival of ijb in various forms. These forces were both political and religious (which in any case have never been totally discrete categories in Muslim
Hourani, The Vanishing Veil, pp. 35-37. Daniel Lerner, The Passing of Traditional Society: Modernizing the Middle East (Free Press of Glencoe: New York, 1958), p. 198; ibid., p. 197.
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lands), and as the journalist Nesta Ramazani has insightfully observed, all of the present-day manifestations of veiling share one common thread; namely, the need to reassert cultural identity.60 One important force contributing to reveiling in one form or another has been the Islamist movements, both militant and non-militant. These movements, which are referred to in the West by a variety of designations (fundamentalists, revivalists, militants, neo-Sufis, and in French intgristes), include such groups as the Muslim Brotherhood (founded in Egypt, but now in many Arab countries), al-Jam#a alIslmiyya (Egypt), \amas (Palestine), \izb Allh (Lebanon), al-Da#wa (Sudan), al-Naha (Tunisia), the Front Islamique du Salut and alTakfr wa l-Hijra (both in Algeria)to name but a few. They represent an alternative to secularism on the one hand and institutional Islam on the other. Irrespective of their political activities, all of these groups advocate a return to a holistic Islamic way of life and to Islamic traditional values, which include inter alia a traditional code of modesty and gender differentiation. One of the primary external markers of the latter is al-zayy al-Islm or al-zayy al-Shar# (Islamic or Shar# attire). \ijb in the context of Islamic attire can mean different things in different places and to different people. In its most widespread modern form, ijb means modest attire that covers the trunk, limbs and hair, but not necessarily the face. This means a full-length loose gown, or a longsleeve loose shirt and a full-length skirt, or loose slacks with an overshirt extending below the waist, sometimes a long light overcoat, and a head scarf (called by a variety of names, such as sabaniyya, qab, and maarama in the Maghreb, shl in Egypt, and mandl, khirqa, tarb#a in the Levant, and often simply ijb everywhere in the Muslim world) or wimple (see fig. 10) (referred to in Egypt as khimr and khimra and again often as ijb everywhere). This form of al-zayy al-Islm and ijb has become a sort of pan-Islamic uniform, in much the same way that blue jeans became an international uniform of modern youth. As the Turkish sociologist Nilfer Gle has insightfully noted: If the traditional way of covering oneself changes from one Muslim country to another in terms of the form of folk
60 Nesta Ramazani, The VeilPiety or Protest?, Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies 7:2 (1983), p. 36.

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dresses, the contemporary Islamist outfit is similar in all Muslim countries: it is through the symbolism of womens veiling that a commonality of identity and the Muslim community (umma) is reconstructed and reinvented at the transnational level.61 In another parallel to blue jeans, al-zayy al-Islm and ijb are in part a form of rebellion by young people against their often liberal, pro-Western, middle-class parents, or in a more political form, against secular, modernizing, but undemocratic governments. In addition to the factors of religiosity and generational and political rebellion, there is also the fashion factor. In one survey conducted in Egypt, forty percent of educated women interviewed responded that they wore al-zayy alIslm and ijb because it was the latest fashion (akhr mda).62 Only rarely does the modern notion of veiling include the actual covering of the face, although full face veiling certainly does exist. For example, in Egypt a sac-like niqb, with either holes or a rectangular cutout for the eyes, is worn by some women, as too is the yashmaq, the veil that covers the face below the eyes. However, these are the exception, not the rule.63 Most of the interpreters of Islamism, however, understand Islamic attire to mean covering the entire body except for the face and hands.64 As numerous observers have rightly
61 Nilfer Gle, The Forbidden Modern: Civilization and Veiling (University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor, 1996), p. 5. 62 The quote is from A. Rugh, Reveal and Conceal: Dress in Contemporary Egypt (Syracuse University Press: Syracuse, 1986),p. 154; and the statistic is from ibid., p. 149. For an extended inquiry into the reasons given by educated young women for the new ijb, see Azza Mohamed Ahmed Sallam, The Return to the Veil Among Undergraduate Females at Minya University, Egypt, (Ph. D. diss., Purdue University, 1980). For the protest factor, as well as socio-economic ones, see Arlene Elowe Macleod, Accomodating Protest: Working Women, the New Veiling, and Change in Cairo (Columbia University Press: New York, 1991); and also Yedida K. Stillman, Costume as Cultural Statement: The Esthetics, Economics, and Politics of Islamic Dress, in The Jews of Medieval Islam: Community, Society, and Identity, ed. Daniel Frank (Brill: Leiden, 1995), p. 128. 63 See Rugh, Reveal and Conceal, p. 150; John Alden Williams, A Return to the Veil in Egypt, Middle East Review 11 (1979), p. 50; and Fadwa El-Guindi, Veiling Infitah with Muslim Ethic: Egypts Contemporary Islamic Movement, Social Problems 28 (1981), p. 475. El-Guindi sees the wearing of the niqb as the third and final gradation of feminine Islamic attire. 64 See Barbara F. Stowasser, Womens issue in Modern Islamic Thought, in Arab Women: Old Boundaries, New Frontiers, ed. Judith E. Tucker (Indiana University Press: Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1993), p. 17 et passim; also Ramazani, The VeilPiety or Protest?, p. 35.

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pointed out, this kind of ijb and the general phenomenon of al-zayy al-Islm (or al-zayy al-Shar#) are new fashions, not traditional, but neo-traditionalist, incorporating only certain elements of older styles.65 With the exception of Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as in the non-Arab Islamic states of Iran and Afghanistan the majority of women do not veil in either the old or new wayor even wear al-zayy al-Islm for that matter. On the other hand, in most Muslim countries the overwhelming majority of women when going out in public do wear modest attire, be it Western, traditional, or neo-Islamic. There is no reason to believe, as John Alden Williams seems to be hinting at, that the new ijb will disappear anytime soon, but whether it will in fact become a universal form of veiling for Muslim women in the way that traditional, premodern ijb had been remains to be seen.66
See, for example, Rugh, Reveal and Conceal, p. 156; El-Guindi, Veiling Infitah with Muslim Ethic, p. 475: [I]t is a simplification and a fallacy to consider the veiling of al-taddayun of the contemporary Islamic movement as a return to the veil. . . .That veil was discarded by Egyptian feminists as far back as 1923.; Michle Kasriel, Le vtement comme langage, in Femmes du Maghreb au Present (Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique: Paris, 1990), p. 179: Le vtement n"est plus tradition mais traditionalisation.; Geadah, Femmes voiles: intgrismes dmasqus, p. 71: Ce qu"on appelle maintenant le voile islamique, ou encore le hidjab, dsigne en fait une nouvelle tenue vestimentaire, prne par le mouvement intgriste au nom de lIslam.; and Graham-Brown, Images of Women, p. 250: In a sense, this manner of dress is an invention of tradition. It is often presented as a return to traditional dress, as an expression of religious piety and cultural continuity. Yet it is not actually the same as any past style of veiling, headcovering or dress. 66 Williams, A Return to the Veil in Egypt, p. 54.
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chapter eight MODERN TIMES

Todays modern world dress is essentially Euro-American fashion, from formal attire, to casual wear, to military uniforms. With the exception of Saudi Arabia and a number of Gulf States, where traditional-attire civilian dress is still normally traditional, in most Arab countries traditional attire remains the everyday dress of only certain segments of the population, mainly the poor and the lower middle class and is worn by the rest of the populationif at allonly for public or private ceremonial occasions. Even the conservative Islamic dress, or so-called al-zayy al-Islm, al-zayy al-Shar#, and when referring to the individual garments themselves azy" Shar#iyya (Islamic attire, clothing and garments in accord with Muslim law,), isas already noted in the preceding chapter, a modern, neo-traditionalist confection which with the exception of the head veil (and occasionally the face veil as well) usually includes modest forms of western clothes. It would not be an exaggeration to say categorically that beginning approximately two centuries ago contact with the West began to make its impact on the traditional Islamic vestimentary system. This impact was gradual, indeed almost imperceptible at first and was limited to very small, specific circles of the Muslim elite and well-todo members of the non-Muslim communities. As with changes in veiling, this evolutionary process among Muslims seems to have begun in non-Arab Turkey, particularly in Istanbul, where it was apparent by the 1830s.1 However, with the ever-increasing Western economic, political, and cultural penetration into the Arab and wider Islamic world in the second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, the traditional vestimentary system under1 Nancy Micklewright, Womens Dress in 19th Century Istanbul: Mirror of a Changing Society, (Ph. D. diss., University of Pennsylvania, 1986), pp. 144-150; see also Jennifer Scarce, Womens Costume of the Near and Middle East (Unwin Hyman: London and Sidney, 1987), pp. 66-80.

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went the most profound and widespread changes than at any time since the initial fusion of Arabian, Hellenistic Mediterranean, and Iranian-Central Asian modes. The most fundamental aspect of this change was the progressive abandoning of traditional, loose-flowing garments which has been taking place in favor of Western tailored clothes. The first group in the Arab East who began in significant numbers to abandon traditional attire were the westernized Christian and Jewish protgs of the foreign powers. The civil emancipation of non-Muslims during the Tanzimat reform period and the expansion of Christian missionary schools, the Alliance Isralite schools for Jews, and European businesses accelerated the process. As early as the first half of the nineteenth century, there were individuals such as Asaad Kayat (As#ad al-Khayy), a Greek Orthodox Christian with Protestant tendencies, in Beirut who adopted western attire. His wife was one of the first Lebanese women to entertain in mixed company unveiled, and her example was immediately followed by other Christian women in the Kayats social circle, a fact that made Kayat very proud.2 Members of other Christian millets, such as the Armenians in the port cities of Turkey and the Levant, were in the vanguard of those who began wearing European or modified European dress.3 There already were resident minorities, such as the Sephardi merchant class of certain coastal towns of Morocco, the Livornese Jews of Tunisia, and the francos of Syria, who had permission at various times and in various circumstances to wear European attire as far back as the eighteenth century (see Chapter Five). But these
2 See A. Y. Kayat, A Voice from Lebanon, With the Life and Travels of Asaad Y. Kayat (Madden & Co.: London, 1847), p. 281; also Kamal S. Salibi, The Two Worlds of Assaad Y. Kayat, in Christians and Jews in the Ottoman Empire II, eds. Benjamin Braude and Bernard Lewis (Holmes and Meier: New York and London, 1982), pp. 135-157. 3 See Roderic H. Davison, The Millets as Agents of Change in the NineteenthCentury Ottoman Empire, in Christians and Jews in the Ottoman Empire II, eds. Benjamin Braude and Bernard Lewis (Holmes and Meier: New York and London, 1982), pp. 321-322; and for more observations on the role of dhimms as vectors of change, see Charles Issawi, The Transformation of the Economic Position of the Millets in the Nineteenth Century, in ibid., pp. 261-286. With respect to the nonMuslims in the avant garde of westernizing fashions, see Micklewright, Womens Dress in 19th Century Istanbul, pp. 147-149.

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were afterall groups whose ancestors had come into the Arab world only in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and had maintained a somewhat separate identity from their indigenous coreligionists as well as permanent ties with their brethren in Europe. The Italian Jewish poet and adventurer, Samuel Romanelli, describes his astonishment upon seeing a group of Jews in Mogador (Essouira), Morocco, dressed in our [i.e., European] fashion. The group included Gibraltarans, Livornese and Sephardi Moroccans. He also observed haughtily that the faces of most of them revealed that which their dress concealed, for their suntanned faces testified that they were Maghrebis.4 In many instances, the European dress of these minorities became a fossilized variant of European clothing of two or three centuries earlier and became the distinguishing clothing in the Islamic legal sense of ghiyr (see Chapter Five). The abandoning of traditional, loose-flowing garments began taking place during the nineteenth century in many parts of the Arab and Islamic lands in favor of Western tailored clothes. The transition was slow at first and did not take place in every place and among all groups at the same time, and indeed the process continues even now in the late twentieth century. In Egypt during the second half of the nineteenth century, members of the ruling lite began adopting elements of European fashion. The Egyptian khedives, were the first among the ruling lite in the Arab world to adopt Western dress. They in fact were following the lead of the Ottoman Sultan Mamd II (ruled 1808-1839/1223-1255), who had himself adopted Westernstyle attire for both his military dress uniforms and his non-military clothing early on in his reign.5 Both Mamd II in Istanbul and Muammad #Al (ruled 1805-1848/-1220-1264) in Cairo established military academies with European officers as the instructors. Mamd in fact issued a code of regulations for his modernized army corps (called the Nim-i Jadd or the troops of the New Order) in 1826.
Samuel Romanelli, Travail in an Arab Land, trans. Yedida K. Stillman and Norman A. Stillman (University of Alabama Press: Tuscaloosa and London, 1989), p. 124. 5 Scarce, Womens Costume of the Near and Middle East, pp. 66-67. Not only did Mamd himself wear Western dress, but he introduced new uniforms for his troops that were an amalgam of European and Turkish styles. See T. Majda, Libs iv: Turkey, EI2 V, p. 752.
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This code included a regulation that the troops should be uniformed in European-style jackets and trousers. An American observer noted just a few years later:
The dress of the modern Turkish soldier has partaken of the general change which has occurred within the last ten years, and whatever it may have lost in picturesque effect, it certainly gained in effectiveness for military duty. Instead of loose, slipshod slippers, he now wears stout serviceable shoes securely fastened by leather strings. The huge balloon chaksheers, which impeded his every movement have give place to woolen trowsers, still rather ample about the nether man, but not so large as to prevent him from making a rapid charge . . . .or from running away. The glittering and flowing jubbee and bayneesh are well exchanged for a smart tight-bodied blue jacket, closely hooded in front, and allowing perfect freedom to the limbs; while the turban, infinitely varied in shape and colour, often ragged, and frequently dirty, suggesting the idea of walking toadstools, has forever disappeared. In its place the soldier sports a tidy red cap, with a blue tassel gracefully depending from its crown. With the exception of the cap, and the still lingering amplitude of the trowsers, the Turkish soldier could scarcely be distinguished from the regulars of any European nation.6

The loose trousers mentioned by DeKay were described by the imperial court historian Amad Luf, as being tight-fitting serge breeches, which indeed they did become later on.7 The examples of Mamd II and Muammad #Al were followed by \usayn Bey and Amad Bey (ruled respectively 1834-1835/12501252 and 1837-1855/1252-1271), the modernizing rulers of Tunisia. The former adopted the so-called Nim uniforms (basically French frock coats with gold braid epaullettes and cuffs, straight trousers, as well as belts, sashes, and medals) of the Ottoman officer corps and court military dress, and the latter established a military academy
James E. De Kay, Sketches of Turkey in 1831 and 1832 (J. & J. Harper: New York, 1833), p. 225, quoted in Nyaz Berkes, The Development of Secularism in Turkey (McGill University Press: Montreal, 1964), p. 123. See also, Bernard Lewis, The Emergence of Modern Turkey (Oxford University Press: London, New York, and Toronto, 1961), pp. 98-100. The Nim-i Jadd corps had actually been found by Mads predecessor Salm III, who also tried to introduce European-style uniforms. The corps, which at that time engendered a great public backlash, was dissolved just before he was deposed in 1807. 7 Cited by Lewis, The Emergence of Modern Turkey, p. 98.
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with European instructors and further extended the change in dress to army regulars, whose uniform consisted of a tightfitting, waistlength European jacket and trousers. All of the portraits of the Tunisian Beys and their courtiers from this time depict them in Nim dress uniforms. The enlisted men did not adapt well immediately to the new European-style uniforms as their officer did. These soldiers were recruited from the peasantry and urban lower classes, and they found the clothing constricting and uncomfortable. They would try to roll up the pants to above their knees like traditional pantaloons. They were also taunted with epithets such as rm (European) and b sirwl (wearer of trousers) by the populacewhich certainly did not facilitate their easy adaption to the new style.8 Even at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, straight-legged European-style pants were the object of detestation in Syria, where they were referred to as banaln, because they were associated with the Ottoman military and its hateful conscription of its hapless Arab subjects of the Empire. Thus, wearing banaln was considered humiliating and degrading.9 In addition to the military and high officialdom as an avant garde of westernized attire within the Muslim community, a new lite of European-educated Arab students who began to make up a nascent modern professional class was also in the forefront of adopting Western-style dress. In addition to his military reforms, Muammad #Al also sent Egyptian students first to Italy in 1809 and to Paris in 1827, and the Ottoman Sultan sent a large number of students to study in various European countries in 1827. They were followed by hundreds of other students in the following years. Upon their return to their native countries, these students not only often adopted Western or modified Western attire, but also became agents for the further westernizing of dress among members of their class. Eventually, Western
See L. Carl Brown, The Tunisia of Ahmad Bey, 1837-1855 (Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1974), pp. 264-265; 270-276; and the illustrations on the frontispiece and pp. 221, 228, 233, and 275. 9 Gerd Winkelhane, Le costume damascne la fin de la priode ottomane: tradition et occidentalisation, in Mmoire de soie: costumes et parures de Palestine et de Jordanie: Catalogue de la collection Widad Kamel Kawar prsente l"Institut du Monde Arabe (Institut du Monde Arabe: Paris, 1988), p.134.
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clothing came to symbolize modern, literate men throughout the Arab and the wider Islamic world.10 In general, it was Muslim men who abandoned traditional attire more rapidly than Muslim women. This was due, on the one hand to the fact just discussed above that the first mandatory changes took place in the military and amongst high officialdom which were (and on the whole remain) exclusively male preserves, and on the other hand to Islamic notions of modesty, one consequence of which was the Muslim males greater physical and social mobility. The students (all males) sent to study at European universities are a case in point. But this upper class phenomenon did not meet with the approval of many members of the conservative religious lite or the lower classes. The modernizers were referred disparagingly as westernizers (Ar. mutafarnajnliterally wouldbe Franks) in the Arab East, rmiyyn (literallyByzantines) in the Maghreb, and westernized gentry (Turk. alafranga elebiler). Throughout the nineteenth century they remained a small minority. However, after the First World War the change became rapid.11 Today in the Levant, the classic #abya, a square sleeveless coat usually worn as a shoulder mantle (see Pl. 64), is rarely worn any more outside of Arabia (where it is called bisht or mishla), among Bedouin in many parts of the Levant, by men for festive occasions in Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq, as well as by Shi#ite clerics in Lebanon and Iraq. Simple tunics such as the Moroccan fawqiyya (see fig. 8), gandra, and farajiyya (see fig. 7), the Tunisian jubba, the Syro-Palestinian jubba and the robe-like qumbz (see Pl. 65) are worn mainly by older, more traditional men or lower class men out-of-doors, or by many men who normally wear Western clothing in public as a festive garment or as lounging wear at home.12
10 See Bernard Lewis, The Shaping of the Modern Middle East (Oxford University Press: New York and Oxford, 1994, p. 36. 11 See for example R. Tresse, Lvolution du costume des citadins syrolibanais depuis un sicle, La Gographie 70 (1938), pp. 1-16 and 76-82; idem, Lvolution du costume des citadines en Syrie depuis le XIXe sicle La Gographie, 71-72 (1939), pp. 257-71 and 29-40. 12 For the #abya/bisht/mishla, see Yedida K. Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry (University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, 1979), pp. 12-14 and Fig. 2; Heather Colyer Ross, The Art of Arabian Costume: A Saudi Arabian Profile (Arabesque: Fribourg, Switzerland, 1981), p. 41; and Topham, Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia, p. 117, Pl. 3.

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Muslim women made the transition to Western dress very gradually. Once again, the process began in non-Arab Turkey and was already visible by the 1830s.13 In the Arab world, interestingly enough, the evolution of Muslim womens attire seems to have begun in the second half of the nineteenth with rather minor items such as footwear. The wife of Khedive Ism#l (ruled 1863-1879/1279-1297), who himself wore European frock coats and trousers, was observed in the 1860s by Emmeline Lott, the English governess of the Khedives son Ibrhm, at an #^d al-Kabr celebration wearing regal traditional garb, but with high-heeled satin shoes rather than the traditional flat-soled khuff or the slipper-like babj. Lott reports that another Muslim whom she visited at home wore white cotton stockings and patent leather Parisian shoes, while otherwise dressed in traditional attire. That shoes and stockings were among the earliest changes in female attire in the Arab world may be due to the fact that footwear, like underwear, were, as noted in Chapter Three, unmentionables in Arab society and therefore were not likely to be the subject of open discussion or debate, neither did they have the social or religious importance of the rest of traditional attire, particularly headgear, veils, and other modesty garments. Today women in many Arab countries wear babj (pl. babwj), which are called most often bulgha (pl. balgh) in the Maghreb, at home as a house slipper and the more ornate, often embroidered ones such as the Maghrebi riiyyt and sharbl for festive occasions (see Pl. 66). Traditional clogs, or qabqb (pl. qabqb), are still worn throughout the Arab world by those women who frequent the bathhouse and by some women of the towns in Saudi Arabia.14
13 Micklewright, Womens Dress in 19th Century Istanbul, pp. 149-157; Scarce, Womens Costume of the Near and Middle East, pp. 66-71, 78, and 81-85. 14 Emmeline Lott, The Governess in Egypt; Harem Life in Egypt and Constantinople II (R. Bentley: London, 1865), pp. 6-8 and ibid. I, pp. 68-69. For a photo-portrait of Khedive Ibrhm in European attire, see Sayyida Salme and Emily Ruete, An Arabian Princess Between Two Worlds: Memoirs, Letters Home, Sequels to the Memoirs, Syrian Customs and Usages, ed. E. van Donzel (E. J. Brill: Leiden, New York, and Kln, 1993), p. 38, Illus. XXI. For examples of a fine inlaid set of Syrian qabqb and many examples of gold-embroidered slippers in a wide variety of colors, see A. Pignol et al., Costumes et Parure dans le monde arabe (Institut du Monde Arabe: Paris, 1987), pp. 40-41; also Jean Besancenot, Costumes du Maroc repr. (Al Kalam ditions-Diffusion: Rabat, 1988), p.193, Pl. D, nos. 8-10. For Saudi womens clogs, see Ross, The Art

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It was not long after the westernizing innovations in footwear that women of the Khedival family, followed presumably by other members of Egypts female lite began to adopt European-style dresses. Armenian and Greek women in cosmopolitan Alexandria were already seen going about in public in European dresses with crinolines in the early 1860s. In her memoirs, Lott also mentions her own crinoline was the object of great curiosity among ladies in an Egyptian home.15 Princess Zaynab, Khedive Ism#ls young daughter is described by her governess in 1871 as being magnificently dressed in black velvet, made in the latest Parisian fashion. And a portrait photograph taken that same year shows the princess in a frilled and lacy, light-colored, European-style dress with matching high-heeled shoes.16 Even as upperclass Muslim women in those countries where Western influences were strongest, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Algeria (and non-Arab Turkey) were making the transition to European-style dresses, it remained absolutely de rigeur for them to go outside fully shrouded in face veils and body wraps, as is still the strict rule in Saudi Arabia.17 As noted in Chapter Seven, most Christian and Jewish women abandoned the veil a full generation or more before their Muslim counterparts. One factor which facilitated their abandoning the veil so much earlier was that the segregation of women in the non-Muslim communities was never as strict as it was among Muslims, nor was the non-Muslims style of veiling quite as total even in the preceding centuries.18 By the end of the 19th century, the to
of Arabian Costume, p. 63, bottom photograph; and for simple Moroccan wooden clogs, see Besancenot, Costumes du Maroc, p. 193, Pl. D, no. 11. 15 Lott, The Governess in Egypt I, p.97. 16 Ellen Chennells, Recollections of an Egyptian Princess, by her English Governess; being a Record of Five Years Residence in the Court of Ismael Pasha, Khdive new ed. (Edinburgh and London, 1893), p. 27; For the photograph of the princesss frilly dress, see Scarce, Womens Costume of the Near and Middle East, p. 130, Pl. 92. Commenting on Chennellss description, Scarce, ibid., p. 131, notes: Apart from the excess of jewellery [in the complete description] she is clearly dressed in the manner of any contemporary affluent Western European child. 17 For a wide variety of contemporary Saudi face veils, see Ross, The Art of Arabian Costume, pp. 46-47 and 50; and also John Topham et al., Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia (Stacey International: London, 1982), pp. 109-111, Pl. 146-150. 18 See Yedida K. Stillman, The Costume of the Jewish Woman in Morocco, in Studies in Jewish Folklore, ed. F. Talmage (Association for Jewish Studies: Cam-

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veil or not to veil controversy had become a burning issue in Egypt certainly the most progressive Arab country of the timewith male modernists such as Qsim Amn calling for the removal of the face veil in his books Tarr al-Mar"a (Womans Liberation) and al-Mar"a alJadda (The New Woman).19 Muslim women were deeply divided over this issue as can be seen from the discussions in the newly emerging womens press of this period. It was only in the early 1920s that Egyptian feminists led by Hud Sha#arw began removing their veils. Their example was followed by most women of the upper and professional middle class over the next two decades, with only the conservative lower middle class holding out against the tide.20 Despite the westernization of female attire during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a process that rapidly gained momentum after the First World War, there were many countries in the Arab world where traditional clothing remained the norm, albeit with innovations influenced directly or indirectly by European styles, production materials and techniques. In Palestine, for example, both Christian and Muslim women continued to wear their traditional folk costumes, but with new colors because of the increasing use of European aniline dyes and new embroidery patterns learned from foreign samplers, pamphlets and magazines. The basic and often heavily
bridge, Mass. 1980), pp. 344-345; eadem, Attitudes Towards Women in Near Eastern Society, in Studies in Judaism and Islam Presented to Shelomo Dov Goitein, eds. Shelomo Morag, Issachar Ben-Ami, and Norman A. Stillman (Magnes Press: Jerusalem, 1981), pp. 347-348; and also eadem, The Arab Folk Costume of Palestine, El Palacio 83:4 (Winter 1977), p. 24. 19 Qsim Amn, Tarr al-Mar"a (Maktabat al-Taraqq: Cairo, 1899) and numerous later editions); English translation: The Liberation of Women: A Document in the History of Egyptian Feminism (American University in Cairo Press: Cairo, 1992); idem, al-Mar"a al-Jadda (n.p.: Cairo, 1900 and numerous later editions); English translation in Mary Flounders Arnett, Qasim Amin and the Beginnings of the Feminist Movement in Egypt, (Ph. D. diss. Dropsie College, 1965). 20 For a thorough survey of the various stances in the Egyptian womens press, see Beth Baron, Unveiling in Early Twentieth Century Egypt: Practical and Symbolic Considerations, Middle Eastern Studies 25 (1989), pp. 370-386; and eadem, The Womens Awakening in Egypt: Culture, Society, and the Press (Yale University Press: New Haven, 1994), pp. 34, 62, 76 et passim. For Sha#arws famous dramatic gesture of removing her veil in public, see the editors introduction to Hud Sha#rw, Harem Years: Memoirs of an Egyptian Feminist, ed. Margot Badran (Virago: London, 1986), p. 7; also A. H. Hourani, The Vanishing Veil: A Challenge to the Old Order, UNESCO Courier (January, 1956), p. 37.

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embroidered Palestinian dress, the thawb (see fig. 11) began to include foreign patterns as of the late nineteenth century, and foreign floral designs in particular exerted a very strong strong influence everywhere in Palestine during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Also, the totally European innovation of pockets were added to womens bolero jackets (Ar., taqra or sala) sometime during the 1930s (see Pl. 67).21 In Morocco, some of the innovations in womens fashion were actually neo-traditional and only indirectly influenced from Europe. During the Protectorate period (1913-1956), more and more women gave up the constricting white izr and ayk or the black milafa body wraps for a tailored version (see Pl. 57 and 58) of the males hooded jallba (see Pl. 68). The new garment was frequently of lightweight gaberdeen and came in a wide variety of non-traditional colors (made possible by European aniline dyes) and in the 1970s in cosmopolitan Rabat and Casablanca in foreign patterns such as colorful paisley Italian or French silk or artificial textiles. The new feminine jallba was worn with the pointed capuche-style hood (Ar. qabb, pl. qubb and qabb) covering the head and a lithm, or veil, covering the face from just below the eyes. In the Andalusian north of the country, it was worn as a triangular bandana tied outside and around the hood, whereas in the central and southern parts it was usually worn as a rectangle tied under the hood. Even with the widespread decline in the use of the face veil during the 1980s and 1990s, the jallba is still the preferred outdoor covering for women, almost all of whom wear European clothing beneath. With the disappearance of the lithm, the hood is no longer worn over the head and becomes merely a vestigial element or is entirely missing. However a sabaniyya head scarf, often called flar (arabized Fr. foulard ), is still worn by the majority of women who have abandoned the lithm, but still wear the jallba. The modern al-zayy al-Islm is also seen in contemporary Morocco, but far less commonly than the jallba.22
21 See Yedida K. Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry (University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, 1979), pp. 5, 27, 68, 72, 85, 86, et passim. For a brief discussion of the present state of Palestinian costume today, see Jehan Rajab, Palestinian Costume (Kegan Paul International: London and New York, 1989), pp. 104108. 22 For examples of a woman in the white "ik or izr, and in a black milafa (in Berber, tamilaft) see Jean Besancenot, Costumes du Maroc, Planches 6-7; for different

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The westernization of mens clothing which was well underway in certain lite circles of the Arab world in the nineteenth century also spread rapidly after the First World War. In addition to court circles, the military, and the civil service, members of the well-to-do bourgeoisie, professionals and people with a modern higher education, all began to adopt Western clothing except in such bastions of tradition as Arabia and Morocco. One aspect of the male wardrobe that resisted change even where the transition to Western attire became more or less complete was the headgear. In Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq many men continued to wear the traditional headcloth, called by various names such as kfiyya or aa in most Levantine countries, and ghra and shamgh (when chequered) in Arabia. It is still not uncommon to see men dressed in a Western suit, wearing a qiyya, a arbsh, or a kfiyya. This is due to the traditional importance of covering the head and to the fact that the headcovering (originally the turban) was considered a badge of Islam (sm al-Islm). The kfiyya, a large square headcloth of wool, silk, or a silk cotton mix and held in place by a circlet of heavy twisted black cord of silk thread (#aql ), which was in the last century most commonly worn by Bedouin and peasants in many parts of the Middle East (see Pl. 69), has in recent years taken on a nationalist connotation comparable to that of the fez in Ottoman Turkey under the Young Turks. The chequered kfiyya became in the second half of the twentieth century the badge of the Palestinian commandoes, and is the regular headdress of Yasir Arafat, who wears it with a special fold resembling the map of historical Palestine. It is also the headdress of choice for the men of the Hashemite royal family of Jordan for many ceremonial occasions. The modernday #aql is considerably thinner than the nineteenth and early twentieth century ones (see Pl. 69) .23
styles of draping, see ibid., p. 186-188, Pls. A-B. For the womans jallba with lithm, see ibid., p. 193, Pl. D, no. 7. 23 See Yedida K. Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry, p. 16. For illustrated examples of the kfiyya/aa/ghra/shamgh with #aql in all their variety, see ibid., p. 12, Fig. 1; Ross, The Art of Arabian Costume, pp. 39-40; Topham, Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia, p. 93. For another example of the older style of very thick #aql which was worn over the kfiyya until early in this century, see Rajab, Palestinian Costume, p. 92, Pl. 65.

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The traditional #imma is now worn almost exclusively by members of the #ulam" in the Middle East although in the Maghreb, and in particular in Morocco, it was still commonly worn into the nineteen seventies and eighties by men of the provincial towns and the lower class urban population who had adopted Western dress. Outside the popular quarters of major cities, traditional costumes are still commonly worn, but they are losing ground rapidly in many places. Even among some Bedouinparticularly those in Israel, Palestine, and JordanEuropean garments are gradually displacing traditional clothing.24 The one area which has successfully maintained its traditional style of dress in all levels of society, as already noted several times in this chapter, is the Arabian Peninsula. However, even with these countries, the military and the foreign diplomatic corps normally wear Western uniforms or business suits, and sophisticated urban women wear the latest European fashions beneath their enveloping wraps (the most common being the black #aba or #abya) and veils (primarily the burqu# and the niqbsee fig. 9). However, even the use of the #abya in conservative Saudi Arabia is a neo-traditionalism, since in past times the preferred outer wrap was the sheet-like blue, black, or striped mul"a (called milya in the Saudi dialect).25 Traditional clothes are still worn by many people throughout the Arab world outside of the modern urban centers and also in ancient urban quarters, such as Fs al-Bl, the oldest part of the medina of Fez, or the Khn al-Khall in Cairo. Naturally, they are still worn as folkloric or national costumes for festive and ceremonial oc24 See L. Stein, Beduinen, Mitteilungen aus dem Museum fr Vlkerkunde zu Leipzig (1962), pp. 41-2. Also, for examples of modernizing traditional bedouin attire, see Ziva Amir, The Embroidered Costume of the Women of TubaTradition and Modernization in a Bedouin Village, Edot: Studies in Ethnography 1 (Israel Museum: Jerusalem, 1984), pp. 3-16. For the wide variety of costumes ranging from strictly traditional, to traditional and modern, and to completely modern, the circumstances under which they are worn, and by which ethnic, socioeconomic and age groups, in a Jordanian town, see Katharina Hackstein, Costume et identit communautaire, in Mmoire de soie: Costumes et parures de Palestine et de Jordanie: Catalogue de la collection Widad Kamel Kawar (Institut du Monde Arabe: Paris, 1988), pp. 142-147. 25 For examples of contemporary Saudi face veils, see n. 16 above. For an illustration of a Saudi womans #abyas, see Topham, Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia, pp. 102-103, Pls. 130 and 132. For the milya, see Ross, The Art of Arabian Costume, pp. 50-51.

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casions. Moroccan, Tunisian, and Libyan brides almost invariably wear traditional bridal outfits (called by a variety of names, such as kiswa, kiswa al-kabra, fanq, and qamajja kabra) for at least part of the wedding festivities (see Pl. 70). So too do many Palestinian women. By the same token, white European bridal gowns are also worn for part of the time (and sometimes exclusively) by urban women in most Arab countries.26 Traditional garments are still often worn by boys for their circumcision in many Arab countries. And the king of Morocco, who normally wears Western clothing (usually French), dons a white jallba and silham (cloak) and a white tank turban (see Chapter Two) or a red arbsh on religious occasions when he wishes to emphasize his role as Commander of the Faithful in his country. He also frequently, although not always, wears jallba and arbsh when receiving foreign delegations. Of course, all Muslims, including Arabs, put on the garments of irm when making the pilgrimage to Mecca (see Pl. 1). The adoption by so-called fundamentalist males of a masculine form of al-zayy al- Islm is much less consistent than among females. In some places, their neo-traditionalist outfit merely consists of a loose white shirt (qam or qamja), baggy pants (sirwl or aqshr), a skullcap (qiyya) and sandals. Sometimes it consists of a local tunic such as the jallabiyya in Egypt or a jubba, farajiyya, tashmir or mir (see fig. 8b) in North Africa. However, because of the suspicion and outright hostility of many regimes towards the Islamist movements which are viewed as politically dangerous, many fundamentalists avoid an easily identifiable uniform. The one common feature among these men throughout the Arab and wider Muslim world is not any particular item of clothing, but beards in various styles. Any sort of country-by-country survey of the traditional garments still wornor worn until recentlyin the Arab world would be outside
26 For Moroccan urban bridal costumes, see Besancenot, Costumes du Maroc, Pl. 10-12; Muammad #Abd al-Salm b. #Abbd, al-Fanq, Cahiers des Arts et Traditions Populaires 4 (Institut dArchologie et d"Arts: Tunis, 1971), p. 9 of Arabic section, Pl. 1. For Tunisian costumes, see Samira Sethom, La confection du costume fminin dHammamet, ibid. 1 (1968), pp. 107-109, Figs. 2-6; La tunique de mariage en Tunisie, ibid. 3 (1969), pp. 12-19, Figs. 4-9; and Pignol, Costume et parure dans le monde arabe, pp. 44 and 59. For Libya, see Abdelkafi, Weddings in Tripolitania, trans. C. P. Bradburne (Government Press: Tripoli, n.d.), Pls. between pp. 14-15 and 9495 for entire outfits, and passim for individual items.

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the scope of this chapter. Western travelers to the Middle East and North Africa over the past two-and-a-half centuries have provided lengthy and detailed descriptions of native costumes. In addition to these, there have appeared in recent years a considerable and evergrowing number of scholarly monographs and articles on various aspects of Middle Eastern and Maghrebi costume. This literature will be discussed in the following chapter.

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chapter nine THE STUDY OF ARAB CLOTHING: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL EPILOGUE

Although the reader will find a full conspectus of the secondary literature (together of course with references to the scattered and highly diverse primary sources) on Arab and Islamic attire and costume history throughout the notes of the preceding chapters of this book and in the Bibliography at the end of the book, I believe that it is useful to review here in this final chapter some of the primary scholarly work that has been done up till now and thereby offer a review of the present state of Arab dress studies. This chapter will highlight the most significant published research done till now, although it makes no pretense of completeness.

The Early Pioneer Studies The pioneer work on Arab costume history is, not surprisingly, a work of philology, the first fruits of one of the founding fathers of European Orientalism, the Dutch scholar, Reinhart Pieter Anne Dozy (1820-1883). Dozys prize-winning composition, written at the tender age of twenty-one, attempted to sort out the references to Arab clothing in both Arabic literary and European sources (the latter primarily the works of travelers). The work was published in 1845 as Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les Arabes. It was not exactly a dictionary, nor an encyclopedia in the modern sense, but an alphabetically-arranged collection of 275 entries that range from a single brief sentence, giving a one-word definition of the item or merely saying it was synonymous with some other Arabic term, to a lengthy discussion of a dozen pages or more. The majority of entrieseven the lengthy onesconsist of the briefest of definitions, but there are often rich, extensive quotations from the texts (frequently given only in Arabic) that mention these items. One problem, however, that fre-

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quently confronts anyone who wishes to check many of the literary references cited by Dozy is that most of the sources quoted or referred to by him were in his day available only in manuscript. On the other hand, many texts that were not available then, are available now. In his post-Classical Arabic dictionary, Supplment aux dictionnaires arabes, 2 vols. (1881 and later editions), Dozy added several vestimentary terms that were not in his original clothing dictionary. For lack of anything better, Dozys Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les Arabes has remained the standard reference work for over a century and a half. Though antiquated, it remains valuable. Dozy made numerous additions and corrections to his personal copy of the dictionary, but these were never published. This copy, with Dozys handwritten additions, is available to researchers in the Oriental Seminar Room of the University of Leiden in Holland. An encyclopedic dictionary to finally replace Dozys work is currently being prepared by the present author. (The editor intends to bring out this dictionary which runs about 1500 pages in its draft form in a few years.) Not only did Dozys Dictionnaire remain the standard reference work, but for a long time thereafter it remained the sole monographic work covering the entire Arab world and all historical periods. Until relatively recently, most studies on Arab clothing primarily took the form of short articles. The most important of these published nine decades after Dozy pioneering work was Reuben Levys Notes on Costume from Arabic Sources, which supplemented Dozy literary references with information contained in texts not available to Reinhart Dozy when he wrote his dictionary of Arab costume. Unlike Dozy, Levy limited his study to the medieval Middle East from the time of the Prophet to that of the Mamluks, excluding both the Islamic West (Spain and the Maghreb), a specialty of Dozys, and the early modern and modern Arab world. Levy also limited his survey primarily to urban attire because it offered greater variety and also because the references available are more numerous. Levy tried to give his study more sociohistorical context and divided his survey between the costume of the private individual and that of the official. Another important early historical study of an entire category of clothing in article form was Ilse Lichtenstdters The Distinctive Dress of Non-Muslims (1943). This essay surveyed mainly Arabic

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literary references to the on-again, off-again, imposition and enforcement of the laws of differentiation, or ghiyr (see Chapter Five above) in medieval Islam. There have also been articles which concentrate on a single type of garment, as for instance Emile Marmorsteins work The Veil in Judaism and Islam (1954), or Franz Rosenthals essay A Note on the Mandil (1971). Rosenthals work is a particularly good example of how best to exploit the limited sources available for a historical study. He first presents a detailed survey of the mandl, or handkerchief, as it appears in art and literature, and from this derives enough information to consider the material, color, decoration, size, place of manufacture and price of the mandl as well as its uses, both real and figurative. In the course of his article, Rosenthal demonstrates the contemporary significance of the mandl, a costume element hitherto completely overlooked by other writers. A recent article by Patricia Baker, published in Costume 1991, also concentrates on a single type of garment, in this case honorific vestments. Her article is a concise, detailed, and informative examination of the contemporary textual evidence and surviving garments associated with the system of honorific gifts of garments, or khil #a. The only attempt at a broad survey of costume for the entire Arabic-speaking world covering all historical periods is Y.K. Stillmans article Libs. i-ii: The Central and Eastern Arab Lands, ii. The Muslim West, in EI 2 (1986), which contains the most extensive references to both the primary and secondary literature available prior to the writing of this book. Another extensive survey, which though not devoted specifically to costume contains considerable information on clothing and a wealth of ancillary data, is R. B. Serjeants Islamic Textiles: Material for a History up to the Mongol Conquest (1972). The Jhil Period and Early Islam There are almost no specific costume studies, either monograph-length or in article form, for the earliest period of Islamic history, that is, for the time of the Prophet, the Rshidn, and the Umayyads. The major primary sources are old Arabic poetry and the adth collections. References to clothing are relatively easy to find even outside those chapters dedicated specifically to attire in the latter with the aid

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of Wensincks Concordances et indices de la tradition musulmane, 7 vols. (1936-1967). Tracking down names of specific garments in early poetry is more difficult. The great concordance to Jhil and early Islamic Arabic poetry begun many years ago at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem is still in index card form, but is open to researchers. Some details on clothing can be gleaned from works on the pre-Islamic Arabs, as for example F. Altheim and R. Stiel, Die Araber in der Alten Welt, vol. 2 (1965), which makes use of archaeological and art historical evidence.

The Great Caliphates In contrast to the paucity of specific costume studies, there exists a considerable body of literature on textiles that have survived from the Umayyad and #Abbasid periods. Because the study of textiles constitutes a discipline unto itself, and because of the constraints of space, it was decided not to include any extended treatment of the subject in this survey. However, since many of these textiles are in actuality remnants of garments (often the sturdier decorated borders, collars, and chest pieces), these are of direct interest to costume historians, and a few comments and bibliographical notes are required. Many of these textiles come from Egypt and show a direct continuity from pre-Islamic Coptic weaving. The most up-to-date bibliographies for these numerous early textile studies may be found in M. A. Marzouk, History of the Textile Industry in Alexandria (1955), Serjeant (1972), and Alisa Baginski and Amalia Tidhar, Textiles from Egypt, 4th-13th Centuries C.E. (1980), the latter being a catalogue of an exhibition at the L.A. Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. In addition to the studies of Coptic and other early Islamic textiles, there is a great deal of literature on early irz fabrics (that is, textiles with embroidered inscriptions), many of which were also parts of garments. Some of the major works with important bibliography for further study are: Ernst Khnel and L. Bellinger, Catalogue of Dated Tiraz Fabrics (1952), Adolf Grohman, irz, in EI1 (1934), Serjeant (1972), and Irene A. Biermans dissertation, From Politics to Art: The Fatimid Uses of Tiraz Fabrics (1980). Both the primary sources and research studies increase for the

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#Abbasid and later periods. Arab chroniclers, such as al-abar, al-Jahshiyr, al-Mas#d, Hill al-bi", often make passing mention of clothing when describing the ruling elite. Adab (polite education) literature is replete with references to dress. The Kitb al-Muwashsh aw al-arf wal-uraf" (On elegance and elegant people) of al-Washsh" (1886 and 1953) is the richest source of this genre. The author devotes several chapters of his book to descriptions of the wardrobe of his contemporaries and advice on good taste in fashion. Regrettably, he does not provide as much detail on female attire. Another adb with valuable details on clothing is al-Tha#lab in his La"if al-ma#rif (1960; Eng. trans. 1968). Arab geographers, such as Ibn \awqal and al-Muqaddas, supply valuable information on clothing in their descriptions of the inhabitants of various provinces and in their cataloguing of the goods produced in specific regions. On the basis of the above-mentioned sources, economic historians, such as Eliyahu Ashtor, Histoire des prix et des salaires dans lOrient mdival (1969), have been able to establish the prices for garments in various parts of the caliphate over several centuries. There is still a need for the editing and publication of additional contemporary texts in Arabic (and the other Middle Eastern languages) dealing with clothing. Albert Arazis excellent edition of al-Suy, Al-Adth al-\isn f Fal al-aylasn (1983) with its important introduction is a model to be emulated. Some garments have survived from this period, most notably from Egypt, where preservation has been exceptionally good due to the climate. One study of a single tunic which is probably from the early ninth century (late second century A.H.) and now in the Bardo Museum in Tunis, is Mohamed Fendri, Un vtement islamique ancien au Muse du Bardo (1967-1968). In another article, entitled Les courtiers en vtements en Ifriqiya au IXeXe sicle (1962), Mohamed Talbi has collected most of the textual data on the dress of the Ifriqiyan upper class during the ninth and tenth centuries. The best-studied period for the costume history of the Arab world during the Middle Ages is that of the Fatimids. Perhaps no era was more clothes conscious. Fatimid pomp and ceremony exceeded anything known in Baghdad, and clothing played a major part in creating the splendid effect. For court costume and ceremonial, the primary source is al-Maqrz, Khia, and to a lesser extent al-Qalqashand and Ibn Taghribird, all three of whom wrote during the Mamluk

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period and depended upon the lost work of Ibn al-uwayr. Although there are no discrete studies of Fatimid official attire, there are several studies on court ceremonial which have important discussions of clothing among which are: M. Canard, Le crmonial fatimide et le crmonial byzantin (1951), M. H. Zaki, Kunz al-Fimyyn (1937), A.M. Majid, Num al-Fimyyn wa-Rusmuhum f Mir, vol. 2 (1955), Bierman (1980), and most recently Paula A. Sanders groundbreaking book, Ritual, Politics, and the City in Fatimid Cairo (1994), based on her dissertation, The Court Ceremonial of the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt (1984). In addition to the attire of the ruling elite, much more is known about the dress of the bourgeoisie and the working class during the Fatimid and Ayyubid periods than for the preceding eras. This is because of the rich documentation provided by the Cairo Geniza manuscripts. Ashtor (1969) makes some good use of these documents for clothing prices. S. D. Goitein, the doyen of Geniza scholars, has extended discussions of clothing in the contexts of economic life and the overall material culture of the times in his magisterial A Mediterranean Society vols. 1 and 4 (1967 and 1983). Y. K. Stillman has employed the Geniza documents exclusively for costume studies, which include in addition to Stillman (1972) and (1976) The Wardrobe of a Jewish Bride in Medieval Egypt (1974) and New Data on Islamic Textiles from the Geniza (1979a). For Ifrqiya during this period, Hady Roger Idris has collected information on the clothing of all strata of society both from the Arabic sources and from published Geniza studies and included it in a brief subchapter in his volume on cultural life under the Zirids, La Berbrie orientale sous les Zrdes, vol. 2 (1962).

The Turkish Military Dynasties There are a number of good studies for the period extending from the eleventh to early sixteenth century, when much of the Arab East came under successive Turkish military dynasties, and Central Asian military and ceremonial attire became the fashion of the dominant elite. M. V. Gorelick, Blizhnevostochanaya Miniatyura XII-XIII vv. kak Etnografichesky Istochnik (1972), basing his work primarily on

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manuscript illuminations, stucco reliefs, and depictions of dress on ceramic ware, and limiting himself to male attire, has attempted to distinguish between two broad vestimentary complexes throughout the Middle East during the twelfth and thirteenth centuriesCthe Western, based upon the fusion of old Arabian styles with those derived from Hellenistic Mediterranean prototypes, and the Eastern, derived from Iranian, Turkish, and Inner Asian styles. One of the most comprehensive monographs for costume history during the medieval period is L. A. Mayers Mamluk Costume (1952). An art historian and an Arabist, Mayer draws upon all available sourcesCrepresentations in Islamic art, literary descriptions, preserved relics of garments, and European artistic and literary descriptions. Mayer organizes his work mainly by social groupings rather than by types of garments, beginning at the top of the hierarchy and working his way down the social ladder to non-Muslims (Christians, Jews, and Samaritans) and women. Two chapters and an appendix are devoted to special garments and vestimentary institutions: arms and armor, robes of honor, and the qumsh. Mayers work is a model of its kind. It is supplemented, but only very slightly, by the chapter on dress in A. M. Majd, Num Dawlat Saln al-Mamalk wa-Rusmuhum f Mir, vol. 2 (1967). However, Amad #Abd al-Rziq in the chapter on clothing in his La femme au temps des Mamlouks en Egypte (1973), has added considerably to the socioeconomic information provided by Mayer on female attire by, among other things, drawing upon published Geniza data. There have been of late some good studies of individual Mamluk garments found in the archaeological excavations of Quseir al-Qadim, a Red Sea port in Southern Egypt, by Gillian Eastwood, who as a costume historian, provides minute details on the actual construction of the garments discussed (cut, fabric, decoration, etc.). See Eastwood, A Medieval Face-Veil from Egypt (1983), and her later article under the name of Gillian M. Vogelsang-Eastwood, Two Childrens Galabiyehs from Quseir al-Qadim, Egypt (1987).

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There are a few good studies of clothing for late medieval Islamic Spain, most of them by Rachel Ari. The most notable is her pithy article Quelques remarques sur le costume des musulmans d"Espagne au temps des Nasrides (1965), based upon both contemporary texts and artistic sources. Another of her articles, Le costume des musulmans de Castille au XIIIe sicle d"aprs les miniatures du Libro del Ajedrez (1966), examines costumes as depicted in a Spanish illuminated manuscript. She also includes discussions of clothing in her broader historical and art historical studies L"Espagne musulmane au temps des Nasrides (1973) and Miniatures hispano-musulmanes (1969). The only other student of Islamic costume to have made an important contribution to the study of this period is Jeanne Jouin. In a very brief, but valuable article, Documents sur le costume des musulmans d"Espagne (1934), Jouin uses her practical experience as an ethnographer to interpret drawings of Spanish Muslims made by contemporary Christians. There are no comparable studies for the costume history of late medieval North Africa. Robert Brunschvig devotes a small section to clothing in the long chapter on the social and economic structures of society in Hafsid Tunisia in his La Berbrie orientale sous les Hafsides (1947). Brunschvig bases his description exclusively upon references in Arabic texts and the reports of travelers such as Leo Africanus and Anselme Adorne.

The Ottoman Period in the Arab World From the beginning of the Ottoman period and into the nineteenth century, European travelers begin to provide rather lengthy descriptions of native costume in the Arabic-speaking world. This material must be used extremely carefully, but despite its problematical nature is an essential source for costume history. Edward William Lane, The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (1836 and numerous later editions) provides some of the most accurately detailed descriptions of traditional attire to be found anywhere, accompanied by superb engravings. Other travelers who also provide valuable information on

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Arab dress include Lanes contemporaries James Silk Buckingham and J. L. Burckhardt, and at the turn of the century Alois Musil (for all of whom, see the Bibliography).

Twentieth-Century Ethnographic Studies French and German ethnographers have produced a considerable body of literature on Arab clothing from the beginning of the twentieth century on. Many of the German studies relate to Palestinian costume and were part of what might be referred to as Holy Land Studies. Among the notable contributions are: Leonhard Bauer, Kleidung und Schmuck der Araber Palstinas (1901) and Volksleben im Lande der Bibel (1903), Friedrich Ulmer, Sdpalstinensische Kopfbedeckungen (1918) and Arabische Stickmuster (1921). But by far the best and most comprehensive work in this category is Gustaf Dalmans seven-volume magnum opus on traditional Palestinian Arab life, Arbeit und Sitte in Palstina (1934; repr. 1964), in which a large section of volume five deals with costume. This German ethnographic tradition was carried on in other parts of the Arab world, most notably in North Africa by Ernst Rackow, whose excellent costume (and broader ethnographic) studies, such as Das Beduinen Kostum in Tripolitanien (1943), El traje musulman femenino en Africa del Norte (1953), and Beitrge zur Kenntnis der materiellen Kultur Nordwest-Marokkos (1958) are generally accompanied by finely executed drawings and patterns which not only show how the garment is constructed and how it looks when worn, but step by step how it is wrapped or draped. The French have produced the lions share of work on Maghrebi dress in this century, just as they have dominated all aspects of North African studies. This was due in no small measure to the desire to know everything about the natives in their colonial domains and to the ease of access for their own scholars. It is impossible to summarize the large and highly variegated body of literature on Maghrebi costume. For example, Louis Brunots monograph-length article Noms de vtements masculins Rabat (1923) is arranged as a dictionary in the style of Dozy. It is an invaluable work, not only for its precise definitions of costume terminology, but for its many comparative

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notes. A very different approach is Georges Maraiss Le Costume musulman dAlger (1930), written as a work of art history. This latter work still remains unparalleled for its scope, its richness of illustrations, and the wealth of historical data. Another work of enormous visual richness is Jean Besancenots Costumes du Maroc (1942; repr. 1989). Besancenot was a superb artist who recorded the enormous variety of traditional Moroccan dress not long before much of it was to be forever abandoned. (He did a similar album on Moroccan jewelry.) Unfortunately, his extensive hand-written notes and many of his black-and-white photographs made in the 1930s and 1940s have never been published. Many of the French costume studies on North Africa deal with a specific region, city, or tribal grouping. Many are concerned with specific categories of clothing, such as bridal attire or headgear. This tradition of ethnographic costume studies has continued after the independence of the Maghrebi countries, both among French scholars and increasingly by local scholars writing in French. Some examples of the latter include: C. Ougouag-Kezzal, Le costume et la parure de la marie Tlemcen (1970), and N. Mahjoub, Le costume des hommes de religion et de justice Tunis (1968). Throughout the first half of this century, most French costume studies on the Arabic-speaking world dealt with North Africa, and most were primarily descriptive in nature. One of the notable exceptions to this rule was the work of R. Tresse, who studied the process of change in Levantine dress in the modern era in two pioneering articles: Lvolution du costume des citadins syrolibanais depuis un sicle (1938), and Lvolution du costume des citadines en Syrie depuis le XIXe sicle (1939). In recent years, the work being done in France has become more theoretical, with emphasis on the semiotics of dress, vestimentary codes, and (following Tresse) evolution in dress, all in pursuit of what a CNRS colloquium in 1983 dubbed an anthropology of dress. There are several such studies in a special issue of LEthnographie 80 (1984), entitled Vtements et Socits 2 (the proceedings of an earlier colloquium, Vtements et Socit 1 (1981), had previously appeared, published by the Muse de LHomme). One such example is Lucienne Saadas Signes de reconnaissance sociale travers le costume tunisien. A similar semiotic and theoretical approach is also becoming more

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common in other countries as well. The recent symposium volume edited by Nancy Lindisfarne-Tapper and Bruce Ingham, Languages of Dress in the Middle East (1997), with contributions by a number of British scholars is a good example of this. Aside from the general introduction which raises important methodological issues, only three of the ten essays deal with the Arab world. However, two or three other articles dealing with Iran and Turkey do raise important parallels for students of Arab attire. Over the past decade and a half there has been an increase in studies of regional dress. In the leading place are books and articles on Palestinian costume: Stillman (1979b), Rajab (1988), Weir (1989), and the important anthology Mmoire de soie: Costumes et parures de Palestine et de Jordanie (Institut du Monde Arabe 1988), based on the collection of Widad Kawar, a well-known collector and dealer. Saudi Arabian dress has also received considerable attention. Heather Colyer Rosss lavishly illustrated, oversized book The Art of Arabian Costume (1981) treats clothing as works of art. The book shows sound research and gives considerable detail, although the garments are displayed with a tendency toward kitsch by what appear to be professional fashion models posing against picture postcard backgrounds. John Tophams Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia (1982) has a major chapter on clothing, but like many works based on a single collection reflects the collectors personal choice and aesthetics and is somewhat haphazard. The pamphlet accompanying the traveling exhibition organized by Patricia Fiske, Palms and Pomegranates: Traditional Dress of Saudi Arabia (1987-1989), though modest in scope has useful details on the items described. There have been a number of books and articles devoted in whole or in part to the clothing of the Gulf States. Though not a costume study, Unni Wikans Behind the Veil in Arabia: Women in Oman (1982) deals with Omani female attire and in particular veiling as part of a broader study on women and gender relations. An entire chapter is devoted to the burqu# (the regional name for the niqb) or mask-like face veil worn by married women. For a brief survey of present-day male and female Omani attire, see Thurayyad al-Baqsami, Omani Dress (1985). Najla #Izz, Anm min al-Azy" al-Sha#byya al-Nis"yya (1975) treats traditional Qatari female attire from a folkloric perspective.

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The great variety of Iraqi traditional dress has been comprehensively surveyed in Wald al-Jdirs very useful book Al-Malbis al-Sha#byya fl-#Irq (n.d.). The books virtue lies not in the rather lengthy, but not very original historical essay, but in the nearly one hundred pages of costume drawings, each with longer or shorter captions. Renate Steins brief article Frauen im Irak (1962) contains a few and mostly superficial notes on costume. Egyptian traditional costume has been the subject of an historical survey by Sa#d al-Khdim, Ta"rkh al-Azy" al-Sha#byya f Mir (1959). The same author, himself a major collector of Egyptian garments from all periods, has another volume Al-Azy" al-Sha#byya (1965). The best overview of present-day Egyptian dresstraditional and neotraditionalis A. Rugh, Reveal and Conceal (1986), in which the author sets out to trace the patterns of dresses throughout Egypt, including the new style known as al-zayy al-Islm, or al-zayy al-Shar#. The book contains useful ethnographic photographs and drawings. Mention should be made here of a brief (78 pages) book Costume et parure dans le monde arabe put out by the Institut du Monde Arabe (1987). Aimed at a non-specialist public, it is handsomely illustrated, albeit with a tendency toward touristically kitsch photographs. The historical and ethnographic texts are extremely superficial, but there is a good introductory bibliography topically arranged. Despite these serious flaws and the necessarily spotty selection in so slender a volume, the book makes a valiant attempt to present a holistic picture (or to be more precise, sketch) of traditional costume across the length and breadth of the Arab world.

The Jews of the Arabic World Relatively little scholarly attention has been devoted to the study of the costume history of the ahl al-dhimma in the Islamic world generally, including the Arabic-speaking lands. Until the work of S. D. Goitein and Yedida K. Stillman on the data provided by the Geniza documents on clothing, most academic attention focused on the laws requiring the differentiation of non-Muslims attire from that of the believers and to the periodic enforcement or imposition of unusual variations of these laws as recorded in historical texts, as for example

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Lichtenstdter (1943), or the section dealing with clothing in A. S. Tritton, The Caliphs and Their Non-Muslim Subjects (1930, repr. 1970). (Only Mayer [1952] dealt with Jewish attire as a subsection of his overall survey of Mamluk dress.) The Geniza shows that during the Fatimid and Ayyubid periods, Jewish clothing seems to have been undifferentiated from that of Muslims. From the end of the Middle Ages until modern times, the stricter enforcement of the laws of differentiation and the arrival of large numbers of Sephardi Jews into the Islamic countries of the Mediterranean basin resulted in development of distinctive, regional Jewish modes of dress. European visitors to North Africa and the Levant during the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries often provide valuable, detailed descriptions of Jewish attire. In the first half of this century, a number of ethnographers turned to studies of aspects of Jewish dress. Jeanne Jouin, who also had done research on Islamic dress, wrote a pioneering survey of the ornate and variegated costumes of Moroccan Jewish women, Le costume de la femme isralite au Maroc (1936). Besancenot (1942) includes many Jewish costumes in his survey of Moroccan traditional dress. The anthropologist Erich Brauer in his classic work on Yemenite Jewry, Ethnologie der jemenitischen Juden (1934), devoted a major section to clothing. The virtue of this section is Brauers combining of the historical and anthropological approaches and his inclusion of valuable comparative data. Since the mass exodus of Jews from the Muslim world to the state of Israel, the lions share of the scholarly work on Islamicate Jewish dress has been done there. Much of the research done on traditional costume has been part of a broader salvage ethnography which has tried to collect, preserve, document, and study every aspect of the traditional cultures of Oriental Jewry before it disappeared with assimilation into the new society. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem has exceeded by far all other institutions in this endeavor and in the quality, quantity, and scope of its publications in this area. The museum has mounted major exhibitions devoted to various Oriental Jewish communities. Each of these exhibitions has been accompanied by important scholarly catalogues in which costumes are significantly represented. These catalogues are richly illustrated and generally have first-rate accompanying texts written by either members of the mu-

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seums own excellent ethnographic cultural staff or by guest scholars. Among the most noteworthy catalogues are: Bokhara (1976/68); La vie juive au Maroc (1973, 1986); Yehd Kurdistn (Schwartz-Be"eri 1981-82); and Yehd Sefarad b-Imperiyya h-#Otmnt (Juhasz 1989), published in English as Sephardi Jews in the Ottoman Empire: Aspects of Material Culture. The emphasis, however, in the latter is on Turkey and the Balkans, with rather little on the Arab provinces. One thing that is frequently missing in the sections on costumes in these catalogues is comparative data with the costumes of the surrounding Muslim society. This is unfortunate since both the similarities and the differences are highly instructive not only for their typology, but for insights into realms of intergroup contacts and boundaries. Often absent too is any discussion of the evolution from traditional to Western dress in those countries that were affected by European influences. There have been several catalogues juxtaposing the material culture of Oriental and European Jews, as for example A Tale of Two Cities: Jewish Life in Frankfurt and Istanbul, 1750-1870 (1982), in which however costume has only a minor place. Many of the studies on Islamicate Jewish costume deal with female attire. This is because womens clothing was generally more ornate and more varied than that of males. Moroccan attire has been the subject of two detailed surveysCJouin (1936) and Stillman, The Costume of the Jewish Woman in Morocco (1980). The decorative motifs of Moroccan Jewish womens clothing and jewelry have been the subject of more specialized studies: A. Mller-Lancet, Markvm Meyuadm li-Lvshm vele-#Adayyhem shel Yehd Marq (1976), and Y. K. Stillman, Hashpa#t Sefardiyyt #al ha-Tarbt ha-\omrt shel Yehd Marq (1981-82). It is remarkable that there are still no parallel studies on the traditional Jewish costumes of the neighboring Maghrebi countries. After Morocco, only Yemen has received considerable attention. In addition to Brauer (1934), there is the chapter on clothing in J. Qfi, Halikht Tmn (1963) which is especially valuable for its lexicographic details. Qfi and Mller-Lancet, Tilboshet ha-\atna shel ha-Yehdm be-Vrat Tmn (1962), have focused upon the elaborate wedding costumes of the Jews of San#a. (Studies on wedding costumes are common in the ethnographic literature on the Islamic East and North Africa, but are regrettably still preciously few

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for the Jewish communities of these regions.) Mller-Lancet, who was curator of the Israel Museums Ethnographic Department for many years, has also studied the artistic motifs of Yemenite Jewish embroidery, much of which was for clothing, in an article #Al Riqmat ha-Yehdm b-#^r San#a (1963-64). Traditional Jewish dress from other Arab countries is almost totally ignored. One important exception is Iraq. In addition to the catalogue on Kurdistani Jewry mentioned above, there is the important article of Mller-Lancet, Le-Tledt Levshhan shel Nshm Yehdiyyt be-Bagdd (1981), which is a prolegomenon to the study of the clothing of Baghdadi Jewish women. In addition to describing the principal traditional garments, Mller-Lancet outlines the transformations they underwent, together with the forces that influenced these transformations. Finally, a word should be said here about Alfred Rubens History of Jewish Costume (1967). Though aimed at a non-specialist audience and in serious need of updating, the book has considerable scholarly merit. It contains the broadest conspectus of non-Western (and of course, Western) Jewish attire to be found in any single volume. Furthermore, Rubens covers those countries of the Islamic world, such as Algeria, Tunisia, and Syria, for which there still exists no scholarly studies. He makes excellent use of travel literature and artistic representations.

Other Religious and Ethnic Minorities of the Arab World More generally, there is a need for research on the traditional clothing of the other ethnic and confessional groups in the Arab world, such as the Berbers, Kurds, Druze, Copts, and Maronites. Except for the Berbers, none of these have received the kind of attention by costume researchers that has been devoted to the Jews. This is a major lacuna that needs to be filled, because their clothing constitutes an important variant or subset within the Islamic vestimentary system. One very important work on the priestly and monastic garments of various Christian confessions in the medieval Arab world is Karel C. Innemes groundbreaking survey, Ecclesiastical Dress in the Medieval

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Near East (1992). While the overwhelming majority of the book deals with the Coptic and Nubian churches, other rites such as the Syrian, Orthodox, and Armenian are also treated. While not dealing directly with costume, there are many articles and museum catalogues that deal with Coptic textiles. In addition to the many examples of tunics, much of the decorative panels, roundels, and bands were parts of garments (clavi, sleevebands, chest pieces, and borders). Among the most noteworthy examples are: n.a., The Coptic Museum (1957); R. Pfister, Tissus Coptes du Muse du Louvre (1932); and Alisa Baginski and Amalia Tidhar, Textiles from Egypt: 4th-13th Centuries (1980). All of these have a wealth of illustrative examples. The last mentioned has a particularly important introduction. Kurdish attire is treated in several books on Iraqi and Persian attire, such as al-Jdir (n.d.) and Jall 4iy" Pr, Pshk-i lh, durnishnn wa-rst"yn Irn (1967). There is also the well-illustrated Israel Museum catalogue Yehd Kurdistn (1981-1982), with a lengthy section on Kurdish dress.

Jewelry Though not discussed in this book, jewelry is a major accessory to clothing, and therefore it deserves at least a passing mention here. There is a wealth of material that has been published on Arab jewelry medieval and modern. Most of the literature on jewelry and accessories does not deal with the items together with clothing as an integrated whole. One of the few works that does is Stillman (1979). A few outstanding works on jewelry are: Rachel Hasson, Early Islamic Jewellery (1987) and eadem Later Islamic Jewellery (also 1987). While neither work deals exclusively with the Arab world, at least half of the first volume and the lions share of the second do. Marilyn Jenkins and Manuel Keene, Islamic Jewelry in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1982) is another fine survey covering the entire history of Islam and most of the Arab countries from Iraq to Morocco, as well as Iran and Turkey. Ruth Hawleys little book, Omani Silver (1978), while not dealing exclusively with jewelry, contains some useful comparative comments on parallel forms and techniques from other cultures and historical periods. It also has the virtue of treating mens dress acces-

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sories, such as decorative daggers, their sheaths and belts. A model for how a detailed textual description and analysis of jewelry can be done is Henriette Camps-Fabrer, Bijoux berbres de l"Algrie (1990), in which Algerian Berber jewelry is set into its historical, cultural, and economic context. It also gives more than just a passing mention to the relation of jewelry to clothing. Heather Colyer Ross, The Art of Bedouin Jewellery: A Saudi Arabian Profile (1981) also provides considerable analytical text together with its lavish illustrations. Jean Besancenot, Bijoux arabes et berbres du Maroc (1953) is another classic work of Besancenots, with finely detailed drawings together with precise detailed descriptions of each item. Another classic work and still after nearly a century an indispensable reference work on North African jewelry in general is Paul Eudel, Dictionaire des bijoux de l"Afrique du Nord: Maroc, Algrie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine (1906). Another significant work that is lavishly illustrated with color plates is Samira Gargouri-Sethom, Le bijou traditionnel en Tunisie (1986). Many articles on jewelry and costume accessories may be found in North-African journals, such as Cahiers des Arts et Techniques d"Afrique du Nord, Cahiers des Arts et Traditions Populaires, Hespris and its successor Hespris-Tamuda.

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ABBREVIATIONS OF JOURNALS AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS

AARP AI AIEO BAA BSOAS DMA EI1 EI2 IJMES JESHO JQR JQR n.s. JRAS RA RCEA REI REJ ROMM SBAW WZKM ZDMG ZDPV

Art and Archaeology Research Papers Archologie islamique Annales de lInstitut dEtudes Orientales dAlger Bulletin dArchologie Algrienne Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London Dictionary of the Middle Ages Encyclopdia of Islm, first edition Encyclopdia of Islm, second edition International Journal of Middle East Studies Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient Jewish Quarterly Review, old series Jewish Quarterly Review, new series Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Revue Africaine Rpertoire Chronologique dpigraphie arabe Revue des tudes Islamiques Revue des tudes Juives Revue de lOccident Musulman et de la Mditerrane Sitzungsberichte Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien Wiener Zeitschrift fr die Kunde des Morgenlandes Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenlndischen Gesellshaft Zeitschrift des deutschen Palstina-Vereins

manuscript sources

193

MANUSCRIPT SOURCES

illuminated manuscripts Biblioteca Ambrosiana (Milan): ms A. 125 Inf.

Ibn Buln, Risalat Da"wat alAibb"

Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican): ms arabo 368 Rossiano 1033

\adth Bay wa-Riy al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita

Bibliothque Nationale (Paris): ms arabe 2824 ms arabe 2826 ms ms ms ms ms arabe arabe arabe arabe arabe 2850 2964 3465 3929 5036

ms arabe 5847 ms arabe 6094 Bodleian Library (Oxford): Bodl. Marsh 458 British Museum (London): Or. 1200 Or. add. 22114

al-Tarbuls, Makhzn Jmi# alFunn al-Tarbuls, Makhzn Jmi# alFunn Dioscorides, De Materia Medica Pseudo-Galen, Kitb al-Diryq Kalla wa-Dimna al-\arr, Maqmt al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita al-\arr, Maqmt al-\arr, Maqmt

al-\arr, Maqmt

al-\arr, Maqmt al-\arr, Maqmt

194 Or. 9718 Or. add. 7293

manuscript sources al-\arr, Maqmt

Freer Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.): No. 54.51 al-Qazwn, #Aj"ib al-Makhlqt Nationalbibliothek (Vienna): A.F. 9 A.F. 10 Cod. mixt. 331

al-\arr, Maqmt Pseudo-Galen, Kitb al-Diryq al-Qazwn, #Aj"ib al-Makhlqt

Oriental Institute, Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg): ms S. 23 al-\arr, Maqmt

geniza documents Bodleian Library (Oxford): Bodl. MS Heb. a 3, f. 42 Bodl. MS Heb. e 98, f. 74 Bodl. MS Heb. f 53 Bodl. MS Heb. f 56 (2821) Dropsie College (now Center for Jewish Studies, U. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia): Dropsie 402 Firkovitch Collection (St. Petersburg): II 1700, f. 18

Taylor-Schechter Collection, University Library (Cambridge): C.U. Library Misc. 28, f. 274 TS 12.227 TS 12.541 TS 16.32 TS 16.61 TS 16.147

manuscript sources TS 16.206 TS 20.48 TS 24.8 TS 24.28 TS 6 J 7, f. 3 TS 8 J 9, f. 9 TS 13 J 3, f. 10 TS 13 J 6, f. 9 TS Arabic Box 30, f. 1 TS Box J 1, f. 29 II TS Box K 15, f. 99 TS Box K 15, f. 100 I TS Box K 25, f. 171 I TS Misc. Box 29, f. 29 TS NS J 392 TS NS K 184 ULC Or 1080 J 142 I ULC Or 1080 J 142 II ULC Or 1080 K 126 Westminster College (Cambridge): Cairo Misc. 9

195

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215

INDEX
a#aban, 88 #abr, 44 ablution, 25 #ab" (also #ab"a and #abya), 10, 26, 87, 166, 172 al-#Abbs, 12, 42 #Abbasid (s), 17, 32-34, 41-53, 62-63, 71, 103-104, 108, 125-128, 142, 146-147, 178-179 #Abbasid revolution, 42 Abraham b. Bundr, 132 #Abd Allh b. #Atk, 17 #Abd al-\aqq b. May, 98 #Abd al-Malik, 18, 32, 36, 40, 42, 124 #Abd al-Ramn b. #Awf, 22 #Abd al-Rziq, Amad, 78, 81, 147, 181 Ab #Abd Allh al-Mustanir, 113114 Ab #Abd Allh al-Sh#, 130 Ab #Abd Allh b. Yaqb, 109 Ab Bakr, 16 Ab Dwd (traditionalist), 13 Ab Dulma, 36, 42 Abu Fal al-Dimashq, 133 Ab #Imrn al-Fs, 107 Ab Shuja# al-Rdhrwar, 108 Abu l-ayyib Muammad alWashsh", 44-47, 59, 127, 142, 179 Ab Ysuf (Chief Q), 103 Ab Ysuf Ya#qb al-Mansr, 96, 109 Ab Zayd, 72-73 accessories, 2, 5, 10, 22, 23, 31, 34, 37, 48, 51-52, 54, 64, 66, 68, 7071, 80, 97, 100, 106, 112, 130, 134, 152, 164, 167, 181, 190-191 adab, 2, 43, 127, 179 Adam, 11 Aden(i), 15, 44 adb(s), 44 Adorne, Anselm, 114, 182 adornment factor, 1 aesthetics, 1, 3, 150 afaggu, 88 Africa, 44 Afghanistan, 160 afterlife, 15, 22, 26, 31, 142 Aghlabid(s), 105 ahl al-dhimma. See dhimm (s) Amad b. lib, 105 Amad Bey, 164 Amad Luf, 164 Amas, 20 #$"isha, 11, 13, 15, 20, 23-24, 140 akhr moda, 159 akhnf, 87 akmm mafta, 45 al-Afal b. Amr al-Juysh, 131 alafranga elebiler, 166 a#lm, 13, 120 #alma, 110 albornoz,17 Alexandria(n), 41, 44, 65, 72, 122, 131, 134, 168 Algeria(n, -s), 9, 55, 81, 86-87, 96, 99-100, 114-115, 146, 148-149, 158, 168, 189, 191 #Al b. Ab lib, 15, 17 #Alids, 33-34 aljuba, 79 Alliance Isralite Universelle, 151, 162 al-$mir, 131 Almeria, 98 Almohads, 91, 95-96, 98, 109, 113114, 146 Almoravids, 91, 94-95, 107 alms tax. See zakt aloes wood (blackish color), 44, 147 #amal al-dr (spcialit de la maison), 58 Altheim, F., 178 ambergris, 44, 46 American(s), 68, 157, 161, 164 American travel literature, 164

216

index
Arabic dictionaries, 11, 14, 57, 83, 175-176, 183 Arabic language, 8-10, et passim Arabic literature, 2, 4, 31, 35-37, 4142, 44-48, 50, 54, 57, 60, 64-65, 67, 69, 71-72, 74-75, 80-82, 88-89, 90-92, 94-95, 98, 102-104, 106107, 113, 122-124, 127-131, 133134, 140-142, 144-146, 153, 175177, 179, 182, 186; romantic literature, 45, 146 Arabic poetry, 9, 13-15, 20-21, 34, 36, 42, 75, 92, 127, 140, 178 Arabization, 30, 104, 146 Arafat, Yasir, 171 Aramaean, 48 Aramaic language, 15, 18-19, 48n., 75 #araqiyya, 16 Arazi, Albert, 179 arbb al-aqlm, 71, 136 arbb al-suyf, 68 arbiters of fashion, 41, 43-47, 90-91, 142 archaeology, 4, 87, 124-125, 128-129, 147, 178-179, 181 architecture, 1, 8, 32 ar , 58 Ari, Rachel, 98, 182 arjsh, 57 arman, 48 arm bands, 54 Armenia(n, -s), 44, 48, 162, 168, 190 armor, 19-20, 35, 43, 70, 181; fishscale, 35; mail, 19 arms, 71, 94, 102, 130, 181, 191 art, 1-2, 4-5, 7, 21, 32, 34-38, 50, 55, 59-60, 64-69, 72-76, 76, 78-80, 82-83, 91-92, 99, 120-121, 136, 142, 145-148, 177-178, 181-182, 184, 189 artisan(s), 38, 121, 134 artistic representations of clothing, 18-19, 23, 34, 35-38, 50, 55, 59, 60, 64-70, 72-73, 76, 78-80, 82-83, 85, 91-92, 99, 120-121, 136, 142, 144-148, 181, 189 #asb, 25, 39, 103 ascetics (asceticism), 16, 21, 31, 33, 43

al-Amn, 43, 80 Amn, Qsim, 153, 169 amr(s), 54-55, 63, 67, 76-77, 95, 98, 135 al-#mma, 71, 132 amphora(e) See wine jars #Amr b. Qam"a, 15 amr, 30, 102 Anas b. Mlik (traditionalist), 14, 18 anbijniyya, 13 ancient Near East,10, 16, 27, 73, 123, 140 Andalusia(n, -s), 90-93, 96, 98-100, 107, 145-146, 148 Andalusianization, 93 animal designs, 25, 105, 125, 134 animal hair, 21-22 animal skins. See hides Ankara, 157 Anr, 48 Antiquity, 1, 7-8, 20, 27, 87-88, 100, 123, 140 ape image, 105 appliqus, 66, 134-135 appiliyn, 18 apron(s), 49 #aqabiyya, 58 #aql, 171 aqbiya mafta, 65 al-aqbiya al-tatariyya, 63 al-aqbiya al-turkiyya, 63 Aqbugh, 76 Arab conquests, 10, 22, 28-30, 49, 86, 88-89, 101, 144 Arab geographers, 43, 89-90, 98, 142, 179 Arab historians, 2, 32, 35, 41, 46, 49, 54, 64-65, 75, 88, 94-95, 98, 111, 113, 122-123, 127-128, 130, 134, 179, 186 Arab poets, 13-15, 20-21, 26, 36, 40, 42, 75, 92, 127 Arabia(n), 7-28, 29, 61, 73, 85, 88, 101, 140, 149, 157, 160, 162, 166, 171-172, 181, 185, 191 Arabian Gulf. See Persian Gulf Arabian modes of dress, 7-28, 29, 31, 38, 62, 89 Arabian Peninsula. See Arabia Arabic dialects, 7, 11, 14, 70, 172

index
al-A#sh, 9 ab al-khil#a, 43, 47, 121 ashraf, 57 Ashtor, Eliyahu, 79, 179-180 Asia(n), 28-29, 62-63, 67-68, 87, 181 Assyrian language, 14 atabeg, 67, 121 Atlantic Ocean, 28-29, 101 alas, 52, 135 #awra, 37 al-a#yn, 71 Ayyubid(s), 60, 62-65, 67-69, 80-81, 110, 133, 143, 147, 180, 187 al-#Azz, 55 Azhar Fatwa Committee, 156 azrr, 63 Bb al-#Arn, 92 bbj (pl. babwj), 22, 167 Babylonian Talmud. See Talmud back flap, 19 badan, 61 badge of islm (sm al-Islm), 16, 138, 171 badge(s) for dhimms, 52, 83, 104112, 114-115, 117, 123 Bdhn, 10 bdiya(s), 32, 34-38, 42, 123, 142 badla mawkabiyya, 54 badla mukmala, 54 Badr, 12 Badr al-Dn Lu"Lu" #Abd Allh, 121 Badran, Margot, 156 Baghdad, 41-42, 47, 49, 53, 57, 59, 71, 90, 103, 108, 126, 179, 189 Baginski, Alisa, 190 Bar(s), 69, 112 bahala, 77 Baker, Patricia, 34, 38, 75, 78, 177 al-Baldhur, 124 Balearics, 114 Balkans, 188 band, 64 band(s), 25, 40, 46, 59, 65, 72, 91, 121-122, 124, 126, 132-134, 136137, 148, 190 bansh, 164 banners, 66 banaln, 165 Ban Hill, 94

217

Ban Sulaym, 94 Baptistre de St. Louis, 66 baqr, 9 al-Baqsami, Thurayyad, 185 baqyr, 72 bar"a, 102 Barajirdi, 44 baraka, 98, 128-130; in garments, 98, 128-130 Barnis, 88 Bardo Museum, 55, 89, 179 barefoot in the streets, 114-115, 119 baring the head, 16, 27 Baron, Salo, 143 barrakn, 60, 88, 96 Basatin cemetery, 55 Basta, 98 bath house(s), 35, 50, 106, 112, 167 bathhouse attendants, 50 Barthes, Roland, 1, 3, 30 Bauer, Leonhard, 183 bawkir, 64 al-Baydhaq, 95 bwal, 57 baya, 19 bazaar(s). See market(s) and also sq bzbakand (also bazfakand), 51 bazz, 70 beard(s), 173 beaver, 135-136 Bedouin, 8-10, 20, 31, 50, 77, 85, 94, 166, 171-172, 183, 191 beggars, 144 Behind the Veil in Arabia, 139 Beirut, 151, 162 bell(s), 106, 108 Bellinger, Louise, 122, 178Belon, Pierre, 18-19 belt(s), 7, 35, 39, 46, 48, 51-52, 5859, 64, 74, 87, 97, 99, 102-103, 108, 117, 127, 136, 164, 191 Berber(s) 86-89, 91-98, 146, 189, 191 Berber language, 88-90, 100 Berberization, 93 Besancenot, Jean, 184, 191 bestowal of garments, 14, 26, 40, 4243, 56, 70-71, 96, 126-130, 133, 136 Beyond the Veil, 139 Bible, 11, 13, 18, 116

218

index
British, 118-119, 155, 167 brocade, 12, 22, 26, 31, 46-47, 54, 57-58, 76, 134, 137 brooch(es), 68 brown, 52, 66, 72-73, 147 Brunot, Louis, 183 Brunschvig, Robert, 96, 182 Buckingham, James Silk, 183 b qalamn, 56 bughluq (also bughlq), 69-70, 77, 79 bukhnuq, 80 Bukhtsh# b. Jibr"l, 103-104 Bukhtsh# b. Jurjis, 126 bulgha (pl. balgh), 22, 119, 167 Burckhardt, J. L., 183 burd, (also burda), 9, 14-17, 21, 26, 42 burda of the Prophet, 14, 16-17, 42 bureaucracy, 47, 53-54, 71, 101, 103, 126, 130-131, 136, 165-166 Burj(s), 69, 112-113 burnous, 17 burnus, (also burns, bernus, barnis), 17, 23, 36, 87-88, 90, 94-95, 97 burqu#, 20, 23, 82, 84, 92, 142, 147150, 172 busby, 69 b sirwl, 165 Butr, 88 buttons, 12, 47, 52, 63, 79, 104; frog, 63 Buyids, 41 Byzantine(s), 22, 25, 30, 32, 40, 42, 86-87, 122-123, 135, 166, 180 Byzantine court attire, 42 Byzantine Empire, 12, 29, 47, 122123 Byzantium. See Byzantine Empire bzma, 100 cache-sexe, 7 caftan, 47 Cairo, 55, 64, 77, 89, 134, 147, 155, 172 Cairo Geniza documents, 3-4, 51, 5561, 69, 76-77, 79-82, 106, 110, 125, 131-133, 143, 147-148, 151, 180-181, 187 calautica, 55 calf image, 106 caliphal garments 34, 124

Bibliothque Nationale, 65 bid #a, 145 Bierman, Irene, 127, 178, 180 Bijya, 95 bsha, 149 bisht, 166 Bjrkman, W. , 17 black, 13, 16, 23-25, 27, 34, 42, 4546, 48, 51 59, 64, 66, 72-73, 83, 106, 108, 114-115, 119, 136, 143, 147-148, 152, 168,172; #Abbasid official color, 34, 42, 48; color for dhimms, 106, 108, 114-115, 119; color of messianic expectations, 34; iron black worn by women in mourning or distress, 25, 46 Black Death, 112 blazon(s), 66 blouse(s), 38, 99 blue, 37-38, 46, 84, 111, 114, 116, 119, 143, 172; for Christians: 84, 111; for Jews, 114, 116, 119; worn by women in mourning or distress, 46 blue-black, 109 blue jeans, 158-159 Bokhara, 188 bonnet(s), 17, 79, 88 boon companionship, 46 boots, 21, 23, 44-45, 48, 66-67, 73, 82, 97, 106; Hshim boots:, 44 booty, 26, 30 border(s), 13-14, 35, 37, 44, 58, 82, 121, 127, 133, 143, 178; fringed, 58; of a different color, 58; pearl, 35; simple, 58 Bosworth, C. E., 19 bottines, 73 bourgeoisie, 31, 41, 43, 56, 59-60, 69, 171, 180 bracelet(s), 22, 34, 37, 52, 97 braid(ing), 37, 46, 64, 68, 121-122, 147, 164 brand(s), 105 brass, 134 Brauer, Erich, 187 breeches, 11, 64, 75 bribes, 108, 111 briefs, 11, 50 brims. See hats

index
caliphate(s), 25, 31-61, 90, 142-143, 146, 178-180 calotte, 55 Cambay, 44, 46 camisia, 11 Camps-Fabrer, Henriette, 191 Canard, M. 180 cap(s), 16-19, 54, 58, 67-69, 79-81, 88, 91, 97, 109, 114, 119, 129, 164; for schoolboys, 68; military, 55, 67-69, 164; skull, 173 caparison(s), 66, 71 capes, 43, 92, 135 capa (also capo), 92 capellar, 98 Capitulations, 117, 150 capuz, 114 aqshr, 84, 164, 173 carousing, 15, 46-47 carpenters, 74 carpet(s), 124 Castellan, A. L., 149-150 Castille, 182 cemeteries, 93, 128, 145 Central Asia(n, -s), 28-29, 62-63, 67, 81, 101, 134, 180, 188 ceramics, 4, 55, 59, 181 ceremonial costume, 33-35, 42, 48, 53-56, 62, 70-71, 84, 179-180 ceremony, 53-55, 56, 179 chaperoning, 144 charisma(tic), 42, 98, 128-130; in garments, 17, 42, 98, 128-130 check(ed) patterns, 59-60, 98, 103, 171 checker-board pattern, 60 chest pieces, 178 chemise. See shirts, and also qams, qandra, ghilla, and bahala children"s attire, 4, 12, 68, 89, 181 China (Chinese), 15, 49, 135 chiton, 8, 11 Christian(s), 26, 38-39, 52, 56, 65, 84, 86, 92, 95, 98, 100-101, 103, 105107, 109-114, 125-126, 138, 143, 150-152, 162, 168-169, 181-182, 189 Christianity, 26, 140, 190 church(es), 106, 112, 138, 190 cinema, 120, 155

219

Circassian(s), 80, 112 circumcision, 173 civil servants, 47, 52, 72, 136 civil service. See bureaucracy, and also government officials civilizing mission, 151 clasp(s), 74, 135 clavus (clavi), 122, 190 clericalization, 109 cloaks, 17, 36, 44, 58, 73-74, 87-88, 94-95, 97-98, 127; See also capes and mantles clogs, 167 clove water, 44 coats, 10, 12, 19, 29, 33, 35, 48, 5152, 57, 63-70, 74, 77-79, 84, 92, 97, 100, 103, 134-135, 158, 164, 166-167; open, 65; Tatar, 63; Turkish, 63; frock, 164, 167 cock-on-pedestal image, 125 coiffure. See hairstyles coins and coinage, 18, 33, 36, 49, 53, 64, 76-77, 79, 104, 108, 111, 124, 126, 130-132, 136 collar(s), 34, 45, 52, 54, 178 colonialism, 1, 99, 119 color(s), 4, 8, 12-13, 16, 23-25, 27, 33-34, 37, 42, 44-46, 48, 51-52, 56, 58, 66-69, 72-73, 82-84, 90-92, 97-98, 104-106, 108-109, 111, 113-116, 119, 122, 124, 128, 133136, 143, 147-149, 164, 167-173, 173, 177; clashing, 44; combinations, 45; dark, 8; light, 13 color coding of dhimms, 84, 111-112 Commander of the Faithful, 34 commerce, 49, 94, 105, 117-118, 132-134, 150-151, 162 Companions of the Prophet, 15 consul(s, -ates), 117-118 contract of bethrothal, 56 contract of marriage. See marriage contract convent(s), 138 conversion to Islam, 10, 30, 96, 102, 104, 109, 113, 114, 138; forcible, 109, 113-114 Copt(s, -ic), 25, 56, 112, 122, 178, 189-190

220

index
130-131, 133 dagger(s), 64, 191 Dalman, Gustaf, 183 Damascus, 36, 90, 123, 134, 145 Damietta, 132 dancing girl(s), 74 dann, 35 danniyya, 35, 48 dr al-arb, 131 Dr al-arb, 118 Dr al-Islm (Domain of Islam), 29, 31, 39, 41, 49, 101, 118, 126, 133, 135-136, 146, 148, 157-158, 161, 189 dr al-kiswa. See khiznat al-kiswa dr al-irz, 120-126, 129-132, 134 Davidic house, 123 al-Da#wa, 158 Day, Florence E., 125, 133 Dehodencq, Alfred, 99 DeKay, James E., 164 Delacroix, Eugne, 99 demi-monde, 72, 74, 144 dervish(es), 72 desert retreats. See bdiya(s) dhimm(s), 39, 52-53, 62, 83-84, 101119, 150, 176, 181, 186-190 Dhofar, 149 dhull. See humiliation dh subgh, 19 dhu"ba, 91 diadem, 92 dbj, 12, 22, 46 differentiation. See ghiyr dimy, (a fine linen), 54, 72 dinar(s), 49, 53, 64, 79, 104, 108, 111, 130-132, 136, 143 dinner jackets, 46 dir# (also dir#a), 19, 35 dirham(s), 33, 49, 76-77, 108 dithr, 43 divider between unbelief and belief (jiza bayn al-kufr wa l-mn), 1617, 138 dwn, 53 documents (documentary sources) 2, 3, 4, 18, 50-51, 55-60, 102-103, 106, 110, 125, 131-133, 143, 180; Geniza. See, Cairo Geniza documents; legal, 2, 102-103;

Coptic Museum, 89 Cordova, 90-92 Corippus, 87-88 coronet, 36 corselet(s), 99 Costumes populaires de la Turquie en 1873, 84 costume supply house. See khiznat alkiswa cotton, 44, 52, 57, 83, 136, 167, 171 court protocol, 33-35, 42, 48, 91, 123, 127, 131, 180 courtiers, 33, 40, 42-43, 47-48, 54-55, 90-91, 103-104, 106-107, 115, 123, 126-130, 165 cowls, 17, 44 Creil, 138 crepe, 148 crest, 81 crimson, 147 crinolines, 168 cross dressing, 26, 45, 80-82, 95 crosses, 25, 106 crown(s), 21, 36, 54-55, 92; aversion to, 36; crenelated, 36; Sasanian winged, 36-37 crowns of the Arabs (tijn al-#Arab), 17 Crusades, 108 Crusader(s), 69 Ctesiphon, 47 cuculus, 87 cuffs, 34, 136, 164 cuirass, 39, 47 cultural influence/interference, 5, 8, 10, 16, 18-19, 22, 29-31, 34-41, 45, 47-48, 62-63, 67, 68-71, 79, 81, 84, 86, 89-93, 95, 98-100, 117-119, 122-123, 142, 149-152, 154-174, 188 cummerbund(s), 58 customs related to clothing, 22-27, 65, 86, 98 cut, 1, 11-12, 33, 35, 38, 45, 47, 51, 57, 63, 65, 72, 74-76, 84, 86-87, 90, 92-93, 95, 97, 109, 113, 136, 148, 158, 163-166, 181 Dabiq, 132 dabq (a fine linen), 44, 47, 54, 56,

index
letters, 51,56; papyr, 18, 55, 102 dog handlers, 74 Domain of Islam. See Dr al-Islm; also Islamic World Dome of the Rock, 37, 123 Douglas, William O., 157 Dozy, Reinhart, 175-176, 183 draping, 10-11, 15, 18, 23, 44, 73-74, 87-89, 96, 100, 136, 183; lm-alif style, 74, 96 drawstring(s), 37, 45-46, 77, 127 dress(es), 10, 38, 46, 58, 90, 99, 159, 168 dress uniform, 70 drinking party(-ies), 46-47 Druze, 189 ducat(s), 76, 97 dulband, 100 Dura-Europus, 19 durr#a, 44, 47, 52, 90 Dutch, 175 dyes and dyeing, 23, 25, 34, 46, 169170 ear flaps, 68, 97, 109 earrings, 97 East Africa(n), 44 Eastwood, Gillian, 147, 181 Ebersolt, J., 122 economic class. See social class economic value of clothing and textiles, 15, 26, 30, 33, 43, 49-50, 57, 76-77, 104, 130-132, 179-181 Edessa, 46 education, 68, 151, 154-155, 157-159, 162, 165, 171, 179 effeminate behavior, 26 Egypt(ian, -s), 19, 22, 29-30, 38, 44, 53-61, 63-65, 70-71, 77-81, 83-84, 89, 105-106, 110-113, 121, 125, 133, 136, 147-149, 153-156, 158159, 163, 165, 168-169, 172-173, 178-181, 186-187, 190 embroidered figures, 25-26 embroidery, 3, 25-26, 32, 34, 39-40, 43, 46, 48, 54, 56, 60, 71-72, 8081, 84, 99, 115, 120-137, 143, 167, 169-170, 189 emeralds, 64 English language, 138, 141, 145, 188

221

engravings, 78, 85, 182 ensemble(s), 59, 70-71, 99, 135 entertainers, 40, 64, 74, 90, 144, 155 epaullettes, 51, 164 espadrilles, 73 Ethiopia(n, -s), 10 Ethiopic language, 19 ethnic clothing, 99-100, 114-115, 186-190 ethnography, 4, 5, 183-187 ettiquette, 48 Etruscan(s), 122 Ettinghausen, Richard, 4 Eudel, Paul, 191 eunuch(s), 55, 128 Euro-American modes and fashion, 68, 161 Europe(an, -s), 1 4-5, 17-18, 45-46, 68, 87, 89, 99, 116-119, 138-139, 146, 150-152, 162-170, 172-175, 181-182, 187-188; Orientalism, 139, 175 European clothing, 117-119, 150-152, 156, 160-173, 188 European languages, 1, 3, 15-17, 19, 47, 87, 139, 150, 158 European protection, 117, 150, 162 European travel literature, 2, 76, 78, 85, 89, 97, 99, 114, 147, 149-150, 154, 163, 175, 182-183, 187, 189 evening dresses, 46 evil eye, 21 evolution of garment names, 17, 43 evolution of modes of dress, 3, 30, 43 exilarch, 123 Exodus, 13 exoticism, 5 exposing the hair, 16 L"Express International, 138-139 fabrics. See textiles and fabrics faience, 121 falconer(s), 83 fanq, 173 farajiyya, 69, 78, 97, 166, 173 farrj, 12 Far East(ern), 67 Fars, 44 Fs al-Bl, 172

222

index
114-115, 167, 173 formal wear, 46-47, 70 fox, 36 Fraenkel, Siegmund, 19 France (French), 117, 119, 138-139, 149, 154, 164, 183-184 francos, 118, 162 Franks, 166 Frankfurt, 188 freedmen, 126 French language, 1, 3, 17, 49, 55, 79, 158, 170 French Protectorate, 119 Frescobaldi, Leonardo, 147 fretted decorative motifs, 37 fringe, 18, 58, 116 frock(s), 92 Front Islamique du Salut, 158 functionalism, 9-11 funerals, 145 fuqah, 91-93, 107, 156 fur, 36, 43, 52, 65, 67, 69, 81, 126, 135-136; lining, 43, 52, 69; trim, 65, 67, 81 furnishings, 43, 48, 59, 60, 151 Fustat, 55, 128 fa, 49, 149 Galen. See, pseudo-Galen galta, 55 gandra. See qandra Gargouri-Sethom, Samira, 191 garments as gifts, 12, 15, 26-27, 40, 45, 126-127, 132-133 garments as mediums of payment, 6, 26, 30, 57 garment-sized pieces of cloth, 8, 10, 12, 126, 127 garments worn by both sexes, 10-11, 13, 45-46, 58, 80-83, 95, 97, 170 garrison towns. See amr Gautier, E. F., 87-88 gemstones, 34-35, 46, 52, 54, 60, 64, 76, 81, 97 gender differentiation, 1, 10, 13, 22, 26, 31, 80-82, 138-140, 144, 151, 158, 185 generational rebellion, 159 Geniza. See, Cairo Geniza documents German, 183

fashion plates, 43-47, 59, 90, 124, 127, 142 Fal al-Khib fi l-Mar"a wa l-\ijb, 153 Fatimids, 53-61, 80-81, 106, 125, 127-133, 143, 178-180, 187 fatiyya, 95 fawqn, 135 fawqiyya, 97, 166 felt, 14, 83 felted, 98 female attire, 4, 8-13, 16, 19-27, 3738, 44-46, 52, 55-61, 74-85, 88-90, 92-93, 95-97, 99-100, 106, 108, 111, 115, 117-118, 133, 138-160, 162, 166-170, 179, 185, 187-189 female seclusion, 138, 153-154 feminism and feminists, 139, 153-157, 169 Fendri, Mohamed, 179 festivals and holidays, 21, 34, 127, 136, 173 festive attire, 92, 99, 166, 172-173, 184 festoons, 8 feudalism, Middle Eastern, 62, 66, 71 Fez, 97, 114-115, 172 fez, 171 fibula(e), 100 fief(s), 66 fill, 87 fillet, 92 fiqh, 2 fishermen, 74 fishmongers, 50 fishtl, 149 Fiske, Patricia, 185 fityn, 71-72 flax cultivation, 132 Flemish, 114 floral designs, 25 the flowing of the pen, 59 fluidity of terminology, 14-15, 21, 124, 141-142, 149 flux from sexual organs, 24 folkloric costume(s), 2, 158-159, 169, 172, 185 food, 33, 35, 65, 94-95 footwear, 7, 9-10, 21-23, 27, 44-46, 48, 73, 76, 82, 104, 106, 108,

index
German language, 1 ghayr musta#mal, 79 Ghassn(ids), 21, 29 Ghazn, 145 ghifra, 19, 91 ghilla, 38, 43-47, 58, 93, 90; dukhniyya, 45 ghiyr, 1, 3, 39-40, 52-53, 56, 62, 65, 83-84, 96, 101-119, 163 ghulmiyya, 80 ghunbz, 99 ghusl, 25 ghra, 171 Gibraltar(an, -s), 118, 163; Straits of, 95; gifts, 12, 14-15, 26, 40, 56, 126, 132133 gilding, 47, 60, 95, 98, 143 giraldetta, 99 girl-boys, 80 giuppa, 79 glass(ware), 66, 121 globalization, 5 glove(s), 83 goatskin, 87 goat-wool, 147 Goitein, S. D., 4, 49-50, 57, 106, 108, 110, 123, 180, 186 gold, 22, 31, 46, 48, 54, 64, 66-67, 71, 76, 82, 92, 97, 115, 121, 122, 126, 128, 130-131, 133-136, 164 gold spangling, 134 golden calf, 106 Gle, Nilfer, 158-159 gore, 120 Gorelik, M. V. , 62, 180 government officials, 41, 43, 45, 4748, 51, 54-55, 64-65, 67, 71-72, 76-77 gown(s), 10, 79, 158 Grabar, Oleg, 34, 72 grana, 118 Granada, 92, 98, 107 Greece (Greeks), 27, 87, 140, 168 Greek language, 15, 39, 88 Greek Orthodox, 162 green: 24, 33-34, 46, 91, 136, 147148; badge of the Prophet"s descendants, 33-34, 148 Green, James, 118

223

grey, 45, 72, 143 Grohman, Adolf, 178 Gsell, Stphane, 87-88 Guereville, A. B. de, 154 Guide to the Beauties of Commerce, 133 Gulf States, 161, 185 grab, 45 gusset, 120 gynaecea, 122 abar (also abara, ibara), 14, 59, 149, 156 al-adhw al-lif, 44 al-Hd, 49 adth(s), 2, 10-11, 13-15, 17-18, 2025, 27, 31, 34, 112, 140-141 \adth Bay wa Riy, 91-92, 146 fi, 57 \afid(s), 96, 113-114, 182 "ik (ayk), 88, 97, 149 hair styles, 15-16, 37, 68, 88, 102103, 116-117 al-\ajjj, 21 jiza bayn al-kufr wal-mn, 16-17, 138 \aketa, 99 al-\kim, 56, 106 halakha, 144 am"il, 57 \amas, 158 Hamdy Bey, 84 \anaf(s), 156 al-anak, 55, 95 \anbal(s), 111 handkerchief, 20, 45, 177 aqw, 10, 74 arb(s), 118 harem, (arm), 37, 142, 151 arr, 15, 22-23, 46, 54, 136; mu#ayyan, 46 al-\arr, 23, 65, 72, 136, 144 Hrn al-Rashd, 43, 46-47, 50, 102103, 125-127 al-\asan al-Bar, 33 Hashemite, 171 Hshim, 44 shiyya, 14 sir (also sira), 20 Hasson, Rachel, 190 Hatra, 8

224

index
homosexuality, 80 honey-colored garments, 52, 104 honor, 9, 13, 144, 154, 157 honorific garments, 3, 26, 40-43, 47, 54, 56, 70-71, 96, 120-137, 177; convivial robes of honor, 47 hood(s), 12, 17, 43, 87-88, 98 114 horsehair, 147-149 Hourani, Albert, 157 houris, 37, 142 ulla, 12, 33, 59 human images on garments and textiles, 25, 123 humiliation (dhull and aghr), 105-119 hunters, 74 hunting scenes on garments, 134 \usayn Bey, 164-165 hyacinth, 46 Ibrhm Pasha, 167 Iberian Peninsula, 29, 86, 114 Ibn #Abdn, 94 Ibn al-Amar, 98 Ibn Baa, 145 Ibn \anbal, 25 Ibn \awqal, 179 Ibn \azm, 107 Ibn Iys, 65 Ibn al-Jawz, 57 Ibn Khaldn, 8, 88, 94, 123, 127128, 134 Ibn al-Khall, 111 Ibn al-Khab, 98 Ibn Mammt, 130-131 Ibn al-Ma"mn al-Ba"i, 130-131 Ibn Quzmn, 92 Ibn Taghr Bird, 113, 179 Ibn Taymiyya, 111 Ibn ln, 126 Ibn Tmart, 95, 146 Ibn uwayr, 54, 130, 180 Ibrhm b. #A" (Nagid), 106-107 ibrsim, 45-46 #^d al-Fir, 136 #^d al-Kabr, 34, 167 #^d al-aghr, 34 ideology and dress (clothing), 9-11, 25-26, 28, 30-31, 38, 54, 76, 138141, 153-160, 167 Idris, H. R. 89-90, 180

hats, 16-17, 20-21, 35-36, 47-48, 51, 67-69, 71-72, 75, 80-82, 90-91, 97-98, 100, 102, 104, 109, 119, 135, 152, 156, 164, 171; brimmed, 67-68, 75, 81-82; straw, 75 aa, 171 haute couture, 53 Hawley, Ruth, 190 headbands, 16, 29-30, 37, 80, 127 headcoverings and headdresses, 7, 10, 16-21, 23, 33, 35-36, 38-39, 44-48, 51-52, 54-55, 57-58, 67-60, 71-74, 79-83, 88, 90, 94-98, 100, 102104, 107-109, 111-114, 119, 121, 127, 129-130, 132, 135-136, 138, 142-144, 152, 155-156, 158, 161, 167, 171-172, 184 Hebrew language, 9, 14, 18, 55, 115116, 144 Hebrew University, 178 Hebrew script, 4, 55 Hell, 16, 26 Hellenistic-Mediterranean modes and fashions, 8, 16, 29, 38, 63, 123, 142, 162, 181 Hellenistic Renaissance, 109 Hellenistic world, 8, 29 helmets, 19, 43 hem(s), 37, 63, 79, 135 heraldry, 66, 133 heretical innovation, 145 Herodotus, 7 ibara, 14-15, 59 hides, 22, 87 hierarchy, 34-36, 39-40, 48, 51-55, 62-71, 83-84, 94, 101-119, 121122, 126, 129-130, 132-136, 140, 144, 150-151, 154 high society, 43-47 ijb, 1, 139-140, 150-151, 153-160 Hijaz, 53 Hill al-bi", 48, 179 \ra, 10, 29 isba manuals, 2, 93-94, 107 Hishm, 32, 41, 105, 124 iya (pl. aw"i), 64 izm, 99 \izb Allh, 158 Hollywood, 120 holy war, 47

index
ifranj, attire 117 Ifrqiya, 53, 89-90, 94, 105, 124, 128, 179-180 irm, 7, 17, 20, 23, 173 #ijr, 148 Il-Khanid(s), 94, 145 illuminated manuscripts, 4, 23, 50, 59-60, 64-65, 67-69, 72-76, 78-80, 82-83, 91-92, 120-121, 136, 142149, 154, 180-182 images on garments, 25, 105, 125, 134 imm(s), 42, 128-130 #imma, 16-17, 23, 33, 39, 43, 45, 4748, 51, 54, 80, 90-91, 94-95, 100, 102, 111, 171; #imma mubarraja, 100; #imma used for bandaging, 17 imitatio Dei, 140 immodesty, 1, 5, 11, 15-17, 22, 38, 51, 76-81, 92-93, 95, 144 importation of clothing, 13, 49 impurity (najas), 1, 23-24 Imru l-Qays, 9 imtiyzt. See Capitulations India(n), 34, 44, 46, 49, 54, 56, 132, 135 indoor clothing (attire), 44, 46-48, 53, 78, 80, 144, 148, 151-152, 166167 Ingham, Bruce, 185 Inneme, Karel, C., 189 insignia, 36, 41, 51-52, 54, 66, 123, 134, 164 inscriptions, 3, 36, 47, 54, 56, 80; on coinage, 36, 126; on headband, 80; on honorific garments, 71; on qalansuwa, 47; on garments and textiles, 3, 40, 121, 123-129, 131133, 136, 178; on turbans, 54, 56 intergenerational transfer of clothing, 50 Institut du Monde Arabe, 186 intgristes. See Islamic Fundamentalism. investiture, 43, 69-70 investment in clothing, 50 iq#, 129 Iran(ian, -s), 9-10, 29, 36, 72, 108, 137, 142, 149, 156, 160, 181, 185, 190

225

Iranian clothing forbidden to Arab soldiers, 39-40, 67 Irano-Turkic modes of dress, 16, 29, 38-41, 63, 67, 162, 181 Irano-Turkic world, 29 Iraq(i, -s), 21, 29-30, 41, 43, 46-47, 49, 57, 59, 63, 71, 74, 82, 104105, 108, 149, 166, 171, 186, 189190 #ir, 144 iron neck rings, 112 #iba (pl. #a"ib) 16, 20, 37, 80-82, 127, 148; iba, m"ila, 80; #iba, muqanza#a, 81 Islam, 3, 9-10, 26, 29, 31, 36, 37-38, 102, 109, 121, 138, 144, 156, 158, 177-178 Islamic fashion or mode, 29-30, 39, 41-47, 104, 138, 144 Islamic fundamentalism, 138, 156, 158-159, 173 Islamic law, 37, 76, 101-119, 144, 156, 158-159, 161, 163, 177; See also shar#a; laws related to clothing Islamic legal schools, 104-105, 145, 156 Islamic West, 29, 55, 86-100, 105107, 109-110, 113-119, 145-146, 148-151, 168, 170-173, 176, 182184, 187-191; See also Maghreb Islamic World, 10, 15, 31, 49, 60, 83. See, also Dr al-Islm Islamism (Islamists), 158-159, 173 Islamization, 30, 146 Ism#l, 128 Ism#l, Khedive, 167-168 Israel, 140, 166, 172, 187 Israelite(s), 10 Israel Museum, 187, 189-190 isrf, 31, 81 istabraq, 22 Istanbul, 137, 161, 163, 188 istisq", 27 isla, 18 Italian language, 79 Italy (Italian), 76, 78, 97, 114, 147, 163, 165 ivory carving, 4, 91 izr (also azr, izra, mi"zar,zr), 7, 910, 13-14, 16, 21, 23-24, 37, 45,

226

index
min add, 19, 35 Judaism, 24, 26, 114, 144 Judeo-Arabic language, 3-4, 55 Judeo-Spanish language, 99 judges(s). See q(s) jkniyya, 57 jkh, 57 junub, 25 jupe, 79 jupon, 79 jurisprudence, 2, 76, 79, 102-103, 156; See also fiqh Jurjan, 142 al-jurrubnt al-mukhniqiyya, 45 Juwakn, 57 Ka#ba, 126 kabbsiyyn, 114 Ka#b b. Zuhayr, 14, 26 kabl, 51 kfiyya, 171 al-Khdim, Sa#d, 186 kallb, 135 kalawta, (also kalta), 55, 67-69, 109, 135 Kalla wa-Dimna, 74, 80 kamkh, 135-136 Kanafani, Aida, 150 ktib (government secretary), 47-48, 54 ktib class, 41, 43, 45, 47, 86, 127 Kawar, Widad, 185 Kayyat, Asaad, 162 Keene, Manuel, 190 Kerbala, 104 kerchiefs, 43, 67 kest, 14 ketubba (-t), 55, 131 khaftn, 39, 43, 47 Khn al-Khall, 172 khaki, 70 khalq, 23 Khalwa, 92 khama, 13, 27 kha, 58 kha, 132 Khaybar(), 18 al-Khayzurn, 49 khazz, 45, 48, 103, 124 khedive(s), 163, 167-168

52, 74, 82, 89, 92, 106, 111, 141, 142, 149 #Izz, Najla, 185 jabadl (also jabadr), 100 jacket(s), 29, 38, 57, 69, 97, 99, 164165, 170 Jacob, Georg, 16 jade, 64 al-Jdir, Wald, 186, 190 Ja#far al-Barmak, 125 jhil(yya), 9, 13, 16, 20-21, 25, 27, 29, 73, 95, 140, 177-178 al-Jahshiyr, 179 jakht, 134 Jall al-Dn al-Suy, 71, 179 jaleco, 100 jallba (jellba), 10, 12, 170, 173 jallya, 57 jallabiyya, 173 jala, (also falia), 99, 115 al-Jam#a al-Islmiyya, 158 jannb, 44 jr al-qalam, 59 jarr min al-khayul", 15 Jason, 27 Jawdhar, 128 jawkn, 57 jawrab (pl. jawrib), 43, 45, 47-48 Jenkins, Marilyn, 190 Jerusalem, 37, 101, 178, 187 Jew(s -ish), 16, 18, 26-27, 36, 39, 52, 55-56, 84, 96, 99-101, 105-111, 113-119, 123, 125, 132-133, 143144, 150-152, 162-163, 168, 181, 186-190 jewel-studded belts, 52, 64 jewel-studded garments, 34-35, 60, 76, 81 jewel-studded shoes, 46 jewelry, 5, 10, 22-23, 31, 34, 37, 52, 54, 68, 97, 100, 116, 190-191 Jibr"l b. Bukhtsh#, 103 jilbb (pl. jalbb), 13, 20, 140-141 jizya, 26, 102 Jordan, 32, 171-172 Jouin, Jeanne, 182, 187-188 journalist(s), 117, 153 jubba, 12, 19, 23, 33, 35, 44, 79, 9091, 104, 114, 164, 166, 173; jubba

index
khellla, 100 al-khiff al-hshimiyya, 44 al-khiff al-zanniyya, 46 khil #a (pl. khila#), 40, 47, 56, 70-71, 96, 120-137, 177; kamkh, 135; khil#at al-#azl, 70; khil #at al-istimrr, 70; khil #at al-istiqrr, 70; khil #at alniyba, 70; khil #at al-ri, 70; khil #at al-wizra, 70 khimr (also khimra, pl. khumur), 9, 13, 92, 94, 140-141, 158 Khirbat al-Mafjar, 32, 35, 37-38 khirqa, 26, 43, 51, 158 khiznat al-kiswa, 53-55 khuff (pl. khifaf, and akhff ), 21, 23, 43-44, 46, 48, 66-67, 82, 167 khums, 26 Khurasan(i), 40, 45, 51 khusrawn, (kingly brocade), 54, 56 khuba, 21, 126 kis" (also ks" ; pl. aksiya), 14, 50-51, 88-90, 96 kiswa (Ka#ba covering), 126 kiswa al-kabra, 99, 173 Kitb al-Aghn, 67 Kitb al-Diryq, 67, 144 Kitb al-Kharj, 102-103 Kitb al-Makhzn Jmi # al-Funn, 69 Kitb al-Muwashsh aw al-arf wa l-uraf", 44-47, 127, 142, 179 kitfiyya, 100 kitsch, 185-186 kizlik, 64 kneebreeches, 11, 75 knickers. See kneebreeches knight(s), 45, 68-69, 122 koranic quotations, 11, 16, 22, 31, 101, 105, 109, 140-141 ktef, 99 Kufa, 21 Kufic, 132 kfiyya, 81 Khnel, Ernst, 122, 133, 178 kulh, 16 kumma, 36 Kumushbugh, 77 Kurdistan, 188 Kurd(s -ish), 189-190 kurziyya, 90, 96 kustu, 14 kuwra, 80

227

labkh, 57 laborers, 50, 120, 142 lace, 168 laces for sandals and shoes, 22, 48, 95, 164 ldh, 46 lacit, 138 Lakhmid(s), 10 llakt, 48 lalas, 57 L. A. Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art, 178 lm-alif style. See draping lnas, 135 Lane, E. W., 85, 154, 182-183 language and linguistics, 2, et passim Last Judgment, 22, 31 Latin language, 11, 18, 20, 55, 87-88, 92, 139 Launay, M. de, 84 laws related to clothing, 22-27, 37, 39, 67, 77, 80, 83-84, 94, 96, 101119 layers of clothing, 10, 12, 44, 63, 65, 78, 97, 135 lead pendants, 108 leather, 21, 44-45, 64, 66, 73, 87, 167; with animal hair, 21 Lebanon (Lebanese), 117, 157-158, 162, 166, 168, 184 leggings, 39, 51-52, 67 length, 11-12, 15-16, 21, 23, 33, 3538, 42, 47, 50, 57, 61, 63, 65-66, 69, 73-79, 81-82, 84, 87-88, 97-98, 100, 104, 109, 112-113, 148-149, 158, 165 Leo Africanus, 97, 182 Levant, 8, 18, 38, 92, 118, 143, 148149, 158, 162, 166, 187 Levantine, 171, 184 Levy, Reuben, 34, 176 libs, 11, 72, 75, 98, 177 libertines (libertinism), 16 Libya(n -s), 87-88, 149, 173 Lichtenstdter, Ilse, 176, 187 Lindisfarne-Tapper, Nancy, 185 linen, 11, 38, 44-48, 54, 56-58, 72, 97, 125-126, 130, 132-134

228

index
malla, 98 Mamluk(s), 38, 55-56, 62-72, 75-84, 94, 110-113, 133-136, 145-147, 176, 179, 181, 187 al-Ma"mn, 34, 104, 126 al-Ma"mn al-Baa"i, 131 Manbij, 13 mandl (also mindl), 20, 54, 64, 116, 127, 149, 158, 177 Manjak, 77 Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, 85, 182 al-manqsha al-armaniyya, 44 al-Manr, 34, 35, 42 mantellum, 20 mantilla, 20 mantle(s), 7-10, 13-16, 21, 26-27, 4246, 50, 52, 60, 73-74, 87-90, 9498, 116, 127, 140-143, 166, 172 manumission, 70 Maqmt, 23, 64-65, 67, 69, 72, 82, 136, 144-145 al-Maqrz, 54, 64, 80, 130, 179 al-Mar"a al-Jadda, 153, 169 ma#raqa, 58 Marais, Georges, 184 Marais, William, 88 Marcos, Imelda, 76 Marnid(s), 96, 98 market (s), 49, 64, 105, 134, market inspector(s), 2, 81, 93-94, 107, 113 marlota, 98 Marmorstein, Emile, 177 Maronites, 189 Marrakesh, 114, 119 marriage contracts, 55, 132 Marwn I, 124-125 Marwn II, 124-125 Marwanids, 35, 42 Marzouk, M. A., 178 Mashriq, 93. See also Levant, Middle East mask(s), 82, 140, 142, 148, 185 masses, 71 al-Mas#d, 46, 179 material culture, 1, 3, 5, 86, 90, 93, 150, 180 mawl, 30, 41 Mawly Sulaymn, 118

lingerie, 45 lining, 43-44, 47, 52, 69, 135, 136 lion image, 105 literature, 1-2, 7, 45. See also American travel literature, Arabic literature, Arabic poetry, European travel literature lithm, 20, 23, 82, 94, 97, 148, 170 Livornese, 118, 162-163 loincloth, 7, 10, 23, 49, 74, 106 Lombard, Maurice, 49 Lone Ranger, 82 Lott, Emmeline, 167-168 lounging wear, 166 Louvre Museum, 66 lustre ware, 55, 59 luxury, 15, 21-23, 25-26, 31-38, 4243, 49, 56, 59, 65, 76-77, 81, 104, 178 Maghreb(, -s), 1,10, 29, 55, 60, 83, 86-100, 105-110, 113-119, 124125, 145-146, 148-151, 156, 158, 162-163, 166-167, 170-174, 176, 182-184 maarama, 158 Mahd, 95, 129-130, 146 Mahjoub, N. 184 Mamd (Saljuq Sultan), 108 Mamd II 163-164 mail (armor), 19 Majid, A. M. , 180-181 majlis al-sharb, 46 makalwatn, 68 makhtma, 58 al-Makhzm, 130-131 al-maksra al-kuttbiyya, 45 Malaga, 98 male attire, 4,8, 12-19, 21-23, 31, 3337, 39-48, 50-52, 54-55, 63-75, 77, 80-85, 88-89, 90-98, 100, 106-108, 111-117, 124-130, 133-138, 163166, 171-173, 185, 188, 190 al-Malik al-Ashraf Qytby, 70, 81 al-Malik al-Kmil Sha#bn, 145 al-Malik al-Nir Muammad b. Qalwn, 65, 70, 111 al-Malik al-li al al-Din li, 112 Mlik(s), 91, 105, 107, 145, 156

index
maythir umr, 22 Mayer, L. A., 75, 76, 78, 113, 147, 181, 187 Meakin, Budgett, 117-118 Mecca, 19, 47, 173 medals, 164 Medina (Medinese), 22, 48, 140-141 Mediterranean, 8, 29, 63, 86, 94, 132, 140, 155, 187 Meknes, 114 mellah, 115 men, 5,9, 10-13, 15-16, 18, 22-23, 26, 31, 33-36, 39-45, 56, 58, 6375, 79, 80-81, 83-85, 88-98, 100, 102-119, 125-136, 138, 144, 153, 157, 162-166, 170-173 Men of the Pen, 136 menstrual garments, 24 menstruation, 23, 24 mercantilism, 117, 161 merchants, 51, 56, 65, 94, 117-118 mesh, 83, 147, 149 Mesopotamia, 8, 140 metal plaquettes, 64, 68 metal studs, 52, 66 metallic cord, 64, 68 metallic knob(s), 68 metalwork: inlaid metalwork, 4, 66, 83 methodological problems, 1-5, 14-15, 38, 57, 59-60, 69, 75-76, 79, 81, 87-88, 106-107, 114, 122-125, 141, 144, 148, 185 Micklewright, Nancy 152 Middle Ages, 17, 96, 99-100, 123, 132, 179; European, 1; Islamic, 3, 12, 20, 27, 30, 35-36, 47, 49, 5051, 55-56, 59-60, 72-73, 75, 83, 86, 99-100, 110-116, 142-148, 176-182 Middle Arabic language, 7 Middle East(ern), 1, 2, 4, 10, 26-27, 29, 53, 55, 61-62, 71, 83-86, 8993, 95, 114, 117, 123, 125, 143144, 146, 148-149, 151, 158, 162, 166, 171-172, 174, 181, 188 midra#a, 44 mighfar (also ghifra), 19 mihmz, 66 mi#jar, 45-46, 80, 142

229

mi#jar, 57 milafa, 16, 21, 50, 89, 149 military attire, 19, 33-35, 39, 48, 5152, 62-71, 73, 77, 79, 84, 87, 9194, 98, 100, 131, 133-136, 161, 163-166, 172, 180-181 military lite, 4, 39, 48, 51-52, 62-71, 73, 79, 93-94, 100, 104, 107-108, 111-112, 131, 133-137, 180-181 military dynasties, 62-85, 133-137, 142-146, 180-181 military manual(s), 69 miltary officers, 48, 51-52, 54, 63-64, 134-136 military regalia, 8, 34, 51-52, 64, 66 millet(s), 162 minbar, 21 mink, 43 minshafa, 149 minaq (also minaqa), 39, 51-52, 64, 136 miqna#a (also miqna#), 20-21, 46, 82, 90, 92, 142, 147 mir (pl. mur), 9, 13, 15, 31, 140141 mishla, 166 missionaries, 151, 155, 162 miter(s), 17, 35-36, 71, 100 mithqal, 131 miraf (also muraf ), 44 mi"zar, 7, 51, 75, 90, 94 modern scholarship, 1-4, 10, 16-17, 19, 30, 34, 38, 49-50, 57, 62, 69, 72, 75-79, 81, 84-86, 86-88, 89-90, 93, 96, 98, 100-101, 106, 108, 110-111, 113, 122-127, 133, 139, 143, 147, 150-152, 156-160, 175191 modern times, 1, 4-5, 8, 10, 12, 1517, 20, 27, 46, 49-50, 55, 60, 70, 75, 77, 84-88, 92, 94, 96, 99-100, 110, 116-119, 134, 136, 138-139, 143, 148-174, 182-191 modernizers, 150-156, 159, 162-169 modesty, 5, 11, 13, 16, 19, 22, 37, 77, 95, 141, 144, 146, 156, 158161, 166-167 modesty/immodesty factor, 1, 9, 12, 15-16, 37-38, 76-78 modesty zone, 37, 76, 78

230

index
Mller-Lancet, Aviva, 188-189 Mu"nis, 47 al-Muqaddas, 43, 89, 179 al-Muqtadir, 47, 53 murals, 4, 19, 32, 34, 37-38 murayyash, 58 Murcia, 98 Ms, Nabawiyya, 154 musaftaj, 57 al-Muawwar, 156 musayyar, 15 museums and museum collections, 4, 55, 66, 89, 178-179, 187, 189-190; catalogues, 187-190 mushahhar, 58 musha## ara, 44 music, 1 musicians, 40, 67, 90 Musil, Alois, 183 musk, 44, 46, 76 Muslim (traditionalist), 13 Muslim Brotherhood, 158 Muslim West, 86-100. See also Maghreb, al-Andalus, Spain muslin, 148 mumat, 58 Musnad, 25 musta#rib(n), 90 mutafarnajn, 166 mutakhkhat, 59 muarraf, 59 muarraz bil-dhahab, 60 mutasarwilt, 11 al-Mu#taim, 47, 62 al-Mutawakkil, 52-53, 103-105 Mu#tazilite(s), 104 muthallath, 57 al-Muwaffaq, 126 muzannar, 59 muzarkash, 134 muzarrar, 12 myrobalan, 54 mythology, 27 Mzb, 87 Nabatean(s), 7, 46, 75 al-Nbigha, 21 nadd. See royal nadd al-Naha, 158 Najran(i), 14

Mogador (Essouira), 163 Mohamed, Fendri, 179 moneychangers, 113 Mongol(s), 67, 94, 145, 177 Montefiore, Sir Moses, 119 Moriscos, 99-100 Morocco (Moroccan), 9-10, 12, 17, 55, 85-88, 91-100, 109-110, 114119, 139, 146, 148-151, 157, 162163, 166, 170-173, 183-184, 187188, 190-191 morocco, (maroquin), 87 mosaics, 32, 37, 121 mosque, 21, 25, 27, 65, 82, 95, 114, 123, 126, 136, 148 mourning, 25, 46, 93, 145 mourning clothes, 25, 46 Mu#wiya, 32 mu#ayyan, 59 Mubarak, #Al, 153 mubshara, 24 mubaan, 44 muarraba, 103 Mudejar(s), 95 mudhahhab, 60, 98 mufti, 70 Muammad (Prophet), 2, 9-28, 31, 33, 34, 42, 48, 101, 128-129, 140, 148, 176-177 Muammad IV, 119 Muammad #Al, 163-165 Muammad b. al-\jj al-#Abdar, 76, 78-79 muashsht, 44 muarrar, 98 mutasib. See market inspector al-Mu#izz, 53, al-Mu#izz b. Bds, 106 mujb al-du#", 98 mujannibatn, 64 mujayyar, 59 mukallaf, 58 al-mukhattama al-khiff, 44 mukhayya, 79 mul"a, ( also milya), 14, 47, 149, 172 mulabbada, 14 mu"lam, 58 al-mulaththimn, 94 mulam, 44-45, 126 mulk, 36

index
na#l (pl. ni#l), 21, 44, 73; al-ni#l alzanjiyya, 44 namira, 14 naqsh, 135 nasal secretions, 25 naf, 140 Nir al-Dn b. al-Tarbuls, 69 Nir-i Khosraw, 56 al-Nir Muammad b. Qalwn. See al-Malik al-Nir Muammad b. Qalwn. Narid(s), 91-92, 98, 182 nationalism, 154, 156 Nawrz, 127 neck opening(s), 12, 38, 84, 121 necklace(s), 37-38, 54 nednyt, 55 neo-Islamic dress, 138, 158-161, 173, 186 neo-traditional(ist, -ism), 160-161, 172-173, 186 Netherlands, 176 newspapers and magazines, 5, 120, 138-139, 153, 156, 158, 169 niqb, 82, 142-143, 147-149, 159, 172, 185 nisw (also nis"), 58 Nishapur, 44, 46, 142 Nim-i Jadd, 163-164 Nim uniforms, 163-165 Nldeke, Theodor, 19 non-Arabs, 4, 28, 30, 38-39, 41, 47, 62-71, 87-88, 93-96, 98-119, 133137, 157, 160-161, 167-168 non-Muslims, 1, 16, 26, 28, 30, 3839, 41, 46, 52-53, 55-61, 83-84, 92, 96, 99-100, 101-119, 143-144, 146, 150-152, 161-163, 168-169, 181, 186 North Africa(n,-s), 1, 4, 29, 60, 86-91, 94-100, 105-107, 113-119, 123, 128, 138-139, 146, 148, 151, 162167, 173, 182-184, 187-188, 191 North America, 4 notables, 71 Nubian, 190 nudity, 5, 11, 12, 37-38, 142 Numbers (bibl. book), 18, 116 nun(s), 138 nr ilh , 128

231

Obadiah the Proselyte, 108 oilcloth, 49 Omani, 185, 190 On Elegance and Elegant People. See Kitb al-Muwashsh Orientalism, 139, 175 ornamentation, 1, 4, 12-13, 18, 2526, 34-35, 37, 40-41, 44, 46, 48, 51-52, 54, 56, 58-60, 62, 64-69, 71, 72, 76-77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 91, 95, 98-99, 120-137, 143, 147, 167171, 178, 181, 189 Orthodox, 190 ostentation, 15, 22, 78, 104, 115-116 Ottoman(s), 62, 84-85, 100, 118, 148, 152, 163-165, 171, 182, 188 Ottoman Empire, 118, 188 Ougouag-Kezzal, C., 184 outdoor clothing, 44, 46, 78, 82-84, 88-89, 92-98, 106, 108, 140, 142, 148, 151-152, 154-160, 166-167, 170, 172 outerwear, 8-9, 10, 12, 43-46, 51-52, 63-71, 84, 88-89, 92-98, 104-105, 114-116, 135, 140-150, 152-160, 163-165 outfit(s), 54, 59 Oxus River, 29 Pact of #Umar, 39, 101-119 padding, 52, 81, 83 paenula, 87 painting. See also illuminated manuscripts; Arab, 4, 65; European, 78-79; murals, 19, 32, 34, 37-38 Palestine (Palestinian, -s), 29, 32, 53, 101, 123, 158, 169-173, 183, 185 pallium, 18 palm fibre, 21 paneled, 59 pantaloons, 11, 35, 72, 75, 97, 127, 164-165 pants. See also trousers, 173 papyrus (-i), 18, 55, 102, 121 Paradise, 22, 24, 31, 37, 142 Paris, 65, 69, 138 Parisian, 167 Parisian fashion, 117, 168 Parthian(s), 8

232

index
127-132, 179 polo, 57 polo jacket, 57 pomegranate color, 147 poor people, 43, 51, 72, 74 Portugal, 100 prayer, 13, 16, 18, 24-25, 27, 66 prehistoric times, 7, 9-10, 21 preserved garments and fragments of garments, 2, 4, 59-60, 87, 89, 124125, 129, 147, 181 prices of garments, 33, 49-50, 53-54, 64, 76-77, 79, 104, 130-132, 136, 143, 179 priestly vestments: Israelite, 10-11 Princess Zaynab, 168 printed patterns, 58 production of textiles. See textile production professional attire, 51, 71, 97 proscribed garments, 39-40, 67, 77, 80-81, 94, 100 Protestant(s), 162 proverbs and proverbial expressions, 16-17, 51, 112, 138, 145 pseudo-Galen, 144 pseudo-inscriptions, 133 pudenda, 11, 37 pulpit. See minbar Punic, 86-87 purity (ahra), 1 purple, 122 qab" (pl. aqbiya), 12, 35, 39, 43, 48, 51-52, 63-65, 67-68, 79, 92, 103, 134, 135 qbillr, 98 qbis, 57 qabqb (pl. qabqb), 167 q(s), 48, 51, 65, 71, 73-74, 93, 98, 100, 103, 105, 145 qafn (also qufn), 47, 84, 97 Qfi, J., 188 al-Q"im, 130 qalamn (also b qalamn), 56 qalansuwa, 16-17, 33, 35-36, 42, 4748, 51-52, 71-72, 74, 90-91, 98, 100, 102, 103, 104; qalansuwa awla, 35-36, 42, 47, 51, 71-72, 100

Party Kings, 91 patches, 25, 46, 51, 52, 103-105, 108, 111, 114-116, 121 patchwork robe (garments), 26, 51, 90, 103 patterns, 4, 8, 25, 37, 58-60, 65, 80, 84, 99, 103, 121, 123, 125, 134136, 169-171, 188-189 pearl color, 143 pearls, 22, 35, 60, 64, 72 peasants, 46, 75, 92, 98, 142, 144, 154, 165, 171 Pelias, 27 pendants, 37, 106-108 People of the Book, 101 p"t, 116-117 perfume, 23, 32, 34, 44, 46, 76, 127 perfumed garments, 23, 44, 46, 76, 127 Persia(n -s), 10, 12, 16, 18-19, 22, 25, 29, 35-36, 39-48, 56, 71, 86, 92, 116, 123, 126-127, 137, 140. See, also Iran Persian fashions and modes, 16, 35, 45-46, 137, 190 Persian Gulf, 143, 148 Persian language, 10, 16, 45, 47, 51, 55, 70, 92, 120, 123, 134, 149 pettycoat, 79 Pfister, R., 190 photographs and photography, 5, 84, 155-156, 186 physician(s), 103-104, 106, 113, 126 pa, 149 pig image, 105 pilgrim(s, -age), 7, 11, 23, 47, 76, 104, 126 pink, 37, 46 pious wishes related to clothing, 27 plaid, 60 plaques, 64, 67; on hats, 67-68; upright on belts, 64 plaquettes. See plaques pleats, 75 plumes, 67, 68 pockets, 170 poetic inscriptions on garments, 127 polemics, 105, 107, 139 political aspects of clothing, 3, 17, 33-36, 40-43, 47-48, 53-55,

index
Qall"in Quarter (Baghdad), 57 al-Qalqashand, 130, 179 qam (pl. aqmia, qumn), 11-12, 14, 23, 43-44, 46, 49, 51, 75, 77-78, 90, 127, 173; al-qumn alKumushbughwiyya, 77 qamjn, 63 qandra (pl. qandr), 78, 87, 166. See also gandra Qnawh al-Ghawr, 136 qarqafa, 48 qaab, 46, 48, 126, 134 Qar al-\ayr al-Gharb, 32, 35-37 Qar Ibrim, 147 qass, 22, 38 Qatari, 185 qaysariyya, 49 qatb, 158 Qayrawan, 105 qazz, 45 qin# (also miqna#a), 20-21, 82, 141, 147 qmajja, 87, 173 qub, 38 quffazn, 83 quilting, 35 qumsh, 70; al-abya al-ayf, 70; aljuls, 70; al-khidma, 70; al-mawkib 70; al-rukb, 70 qumbz, 99, 166 qumbayz, 99 qundus, 135 qurbuq, 57 Qur"n, 16, 22, 31, 101, 105, 109, 139-141 qurq (pl. aqrq), 90, 95; al-aqrq alzarrriyya, 95 Qusayr #Amra, 32, 37-38, 142 Quseir al-Qadim, 147, 181 al-Quam, 75 rabbi(s), 116 radda, 58 Rackow, Ernst, 183 raf # al-ijb, 157 rafraf, 19 raincloaks, 49 Rajab, 185 al-Ramd, 92 Ramazani, Nesta, 158

233

rn, 39, 67 rank, 48, 54, 64-65, 71, 130, 133135, 165 Rashd, 45 ray (also raya), 9, 14-15 Reconquista, 92, 95, 108 red, 12, 24, 37, 45-46, 48, 66-67, 69, 72, 84, 91, 106, 108, 111, 116, 122, 124, 133, 135, 147, 148, 164; for Samaritans, 84, 111 Red Sea, 147, 181 reforms of #Abd al-Malik, 36, 124 regional variation of style, 10-11, 15, 29, 63, 84-89, 91, 92, 94, 98, 113, 148, 158-159, 170, 173 Renaissance, 1 reveal/conceal factor, 1, 38 reversing the cloak when praying for rain, 27 ribbons, 81 rid" (pl. ardiya), 9, 13, 21, 25, 27, 33, 43-45, 73, 90, 127 riding clothes, 35, 97, 98 Rf, 87 Rihani, Ameen, 117 riiyyt, 167 rijl, 58 rings, 22 ritual, 1, 11, 16-18, 20, 23-25, 27, 42, 47, 53-54, 66, 69, 116, 129-131, 133, 152, 161, 172-173, 179-180, 190 ritual attire 7, 11, 17, 23, 25, 42, 5355 robe(s), 12, 21, 26, 34-35, 39-40, 4243, 44, 47-48, 52, 56-58, 69-70, 90- 92, 96, 97, 121, 123, 124, 127, 129, 131, 134, 135-136, 166 robe(s) of honor. See honorific garments rock drawing. See rupestrian art Romanelli, Samuel, 163 romanticism, 5, 117, 139 Rome, Roman(s), 18, 87, 122, 155 rose-colored, 23 Rosenthal, Franz, 177 rose water, 44 Rosetta, 45 Ross, Heather Colyer, 185, 191 roundels, 46, 64, 122, 125

234

index
sq al-m, 51 Sarakhs, 142 sarqj, 68, 81 sarqsh, 81-82 sar band, 148 sari-cloth, 49 rma, 100 sarmz, 106 Sasanian(s), 10, 29, 32, 35-36, 39, 4142, 47-48, 122-123, 125; court costume, 39, 41-42; Sasanian Empire, 122, 123 sash(es), 64, 99, 164 satin, 22, 31, 43, 52, 135, 136, 167 Saudi Arabia, 157, 160, 161, 167168, 172, 185, 191 awlaq, 64 sayo, 98 sayyid(s), 33 Scarf and the Republic, The, 139 scarlet, 92 scarves, 45, 58, 64, 79, 81, 119, 127, 149, 156, 158 schools, 151, 155, 156, 157, 162, 165-166; Alliance Isralite, 151, 162; missionary, 151, 155, 162; universities, 156-157, 165-166 Schroeter, Daniel, 150-151 sculpture, 4, 32, 35-38 seasonal attire, 51-52, 54, 70, 90, 97 seclusion, 93, 138, 139, 144, 153, 154, 168 secretarial class. 101, 103, 127 See also ktib class semen, 24-25 Sephardic (Sephardim), 99-100, 114, 115, 162-163, 187 sequins, 35 Seres, 15 serge, 164 Serjeant, R. B., 57, 122-123, 126, 177 sermon(s), 21, 126 Seville, 93, 94, 107 sexual intercourse, 24-25, 78 n. 40 sexuality, 144 sexual relations (non-vaginal), 24 shaddat al-waqr, 54 shakla (also shikla), 83, 105, 114, 115 shl, 158

royal entourage. See courtiers royal insignia, 123 royal nadd, 44 royal symbols. See symbols of royalty Rubens, Alfred, 189 rubies, 64 rucksack, 64 Rugh, A., 186 ruling elite, 59, 60, 62-71, 76, 90-96, 100, 102, 103, 111, 112, 132-136, 163-168, 173, 179-180 rm attire, 117, 165 rupestrean art, 7, 9, 21 ruq#a, 83, 105 rural attire, 4, 8-10, 38, 46, 75, 92, 98, 142-144, 154, 156, 171 Saada, Lucienne, 184 Sabaeans, 39 sabaniyya, 119, 149, 158 sabgha, 19 sable, 43 sackcloth, 33 safflower, 23 saffron, 23-24, 34, 44 safsr, 60, 96, 149 aghr. See humiliation sagum, 87, 92 Sahara(n), 94 sailors, 50 Sala al-Dn, 69 Salamya, 130 salaries and wages, 49, 143, 179 sallriyya, 69-70 Saljuq(s), 41, 62-63, 67-68, 108 Samaritans, 84, 111, 181 Samarra, 74 al-Samaw"al b. #Adiy", 9, 13 al-amm", 11, 89 Samuel b. Ms, 125 Samuel b. Naghrla, 107 San#a, 117, 188-189 andal, 129-130 sandals, 7, 9-10, 21-23, 27, 44, 73, 90, 95, 102, 114-115, 173; corksoled, 90; East African, 44; palm fibre, 21; soft leather, 21; straw, 115; tanned leather, 22 sandalwood, 46 Sanders, Paula A. 180

index
shalwr, 10 shamgh, 171 shame, 9, 11, 145, 157, 165 shamla, 9, 13-14, 50, 116 Shams al-Dn Ms, 76 al-Shanfar, 20 shaq"iq, 57 sharb (a fine linen), 54 Sha#rw, Hud, 155-156, 169 sharb, 133 sharbsh, 67 shared names for garments and textiles, 14-15, 70 shari#a, 37, 101-119, 144, 158, 161, 163 Sharifan Empire, 85, 118-119 sharft, 148 sha#riyya, 147, 149 al-sharrbt al-ibrsimiyya, 46 sharshaf, 149 shsh, 70, 135; shsh wal-qumsh, 70 shshiyya, 54, 90, 114, 129 sharanj, 60 shawls, 18, 51, 58, 74, 135, 136, 149 shya, 92, 98 shaykh(s), 98 shear rsn, 56 shi#r, 43 Shi#ite(s), 17, 53, 104, 116, 128, 166 shikkliyyn, 114 shintiyn, 84 shiqqa (pl. shiqaq), 12, 126, 127 shr, 15 shrk (also shrkn), 22 shirts, 38, 97, 99, 127, 158, 173; body shirts, 10-12, 14, 23, 43-47, 49, 51, 58, 63, 75, 77-78, 90; overshirts, 44, 46; shirt tails, 127 shoelaces. See laces for shoes and sandals shoes, 7, 9, 10, 21-23, 27, 43-46, 48, 73, 76, 108, 114-115, 119, 164, 167, 168; checkered, 44; curved, 46; curved: the secretarial class, 45; furry, 44-46; putting right on first, 27; taking off left first, 27 show fringe, 18, 116 shroud(s), 14, 15, 128 shurb muzannara, 46 al-shur al-#umariyya. See Pact of Umar

235

Shustar. See Tustar Sicily, 86, 132 sidelocks, 116-117 siglaton, 54, 58 Sigoli, Simone, 76, 78 al-ib (name of the Prophet"s turban), 74 sijf, 140 sikka, 126, 131 silhm, 87, 173 silk, 12, 15, 22-23, 26, 31, 34-35, 4348, 50, 54, 57-59, 64, 71, 79, 81, 98, 103-104, 114, 122, 124, 126, 128, 134-137, 143, 147, 171; aversion to, 12, 15, 22, 31, 43, 45; counter-traditions on the permissibility of wearing, 23, 31; garments of in Paradise, 22, 31; permitted with men with skin conditions, 22; pious opposition to, 15, 22, 31, 33-34; variegated (washy), 33, 46-47, 50, 98, 104 silken, 98 silver, 22, 46-48, 54, 64, 71, 76, 79, 97, 115, 126, 190 sm al-Islm, 16, 138 smnm, 116-117 Sinai, 20 simla, 9 sinjab, 135 singing girls, 46 iqill, 115 siqln, 54 sirwl (pl. sarwl), 10-11, 23, 33, 35, 37, 43, 45, 47, 50, 52, 54, 72, 7577, 84, 90, 98, 165, 173 th (pl. yyth), 18, 116 sitra, 149 sitr, 140 Sitt Zubayda, 46, 80 siwrn, 52 siyar", 15 skirt(s), 37, 99, 115, 158 skullcap(s). See caps slaves, 37, 44, 52, 74, 92, 95, 104, 120, 142, 144; girls, 37, 44, 46, 92, 95, 142, 144 sleeping garments, 13 sleeves, 8-9, 12, 26, 33, 38, 43, 45, 47, 51-52, 57, 60-61, 65-66, 69,

236

index
straw footgear, 115 strings to fasten coats with bows, 63 stripes, 14-15, 22, 46, 59, 124, 172; pinstripe, 59 stucco reliefs, 181 stylistic fusion, 16, 29, 40-41 Sudan, 158 f, 31 f(s), 26, 31, 51, 71 sugar loaf, 35 suls, 60 Sulaymn, 33, 35 sumptuary laws, 39-40, 77, 80-84, 94, 100-119 sunna, 1, 10, 13-14, 22-25, 27, 31, 140-141 superstitions and popular beliefs, 2122, 27, 98, 128-129 sq, 49, 64, 134 suq al-aw"isiyyn, 64 Sq al-Khila#iyyn, 134 ra, 77 surmja, 22 Sus, 44 ss, 54 sutr, 124 Swedish, 139 swords, 19, 48, 51, 54, 64, 68, 70, 130 symbolism, 1, 17, 27, 34-37, 42, 4748, 54, 66-68, 71, 73, 91, 152, 155; clothing as symbols of legitimacy, 42; clothing as symbol of identity, 101-119, 140, 158-159, 171 symbols of royalty, 34-37, 41, 47-48, 54-55, 71 synagogue, 55, 106, 148 synonymous garment names, 14, 19, 84, 88, 142, 148, 149 Syria(n, -s), 8, 13, 23, 29, 30, 32, 36, 38, 41, 53, 63, 77, 85, 90, 97, 101, 110, 123, 134, 136, 146, 162, 165-166, 171, 184, 189-190 Ta"abbaa Sharran, 15 tabbn, 115 al-abar, 124, 179 abar, 45 Tabaristan, 45

74-75, 77-79, 84, 97-99, 104, 109, 113, 121, 127, 136, 158, 166, 190 slippers, 7, 22, 73, 119, 130, 164, 167 smoky-grey, 45 social class, 1, 4, 13, 21, 23, 31, 37, 41, 43, 45-47, 49-52, 56, 59-60, 62, 65, 67, 69, 71-76, 79, 84, 86, 89-98, 103, 106-107, 110, 112, 120, 126-127, 129, 132-133, 140, 142-145, 147, 152, 154-156, 159, 161, 163, 165-169, 171-172, 179181; bougeoisie, 90, 120, 125, 132-133, 140, 155-156, 159, 161, 169, 171, 180; common people, 97, 142, 145-146, 165, 166; elites, 90, 93-95, 96, 103, 106-107, 110, 111-112, 132, 140, 147, 152, 154, 161, 163, 165, 179-180; laborers, 46, 49, 50-51, 74-75; leisured, 31; lowest, 97, 146, 154, 161, 165166, 169; upper, 43-47, 56, 65, 75-76, 89-92, 110, 146, 152, 154156, 161, 166, 169, 179; working people, 93, 95, 142-144, 180. social climber(s), 129 social hierarchy, 39, 41, 48, 54, 6284, 90-92, 94-95, 97, 100, 101119, 180-181 social mobility, 84-85 socio-economic status. See social class sociology of dress, 30 soles of shoes, 27, 90, 167 Sophronios, 101 Spain (Spanish), 86, 89, 90-96, 98100, 107, 114, 123, 145-146, 182 Spanish language, 17, 20, 79, 92, 98, 99-100, 114 spittle, 25 spots, 59 spurs, 66 squirrel, 135, 136 stamps on papyrus, 121, 124 statues. See sculpture Stein, Renate, 186 Stillman, Norman, 111 Stillman, Y. K., XI-XIV, 177, 180, 185-186, 188, 190 stockings, 43, 45, 48, 97, 167 stola, 18 stone carving, 121

index
Tabriz, 137 tabzimt, 100 Tafilalet, 87 tafl, 92 taaykt, 88 tank al-#imma (also al-anak), 55, 95, 97, 173 Tarr al-Mar"a, 153, 169 Tataw, Rifa#a, 153 tailored or fitted clothing, 8, 23, 29, 79, 84, 100, 134, 163 tailoring, 100 tj (pl. tijn), 17, 36, 55, 91-92 takerzt, 90 takhffa, 67-68, 72 takhlla, 149 al-Takfr wal-Hijra, 158 Tal#at \arb, Muammad, 153 Talbi, Mohamed, 179 allth, 18 Talmud(ic), 8-9, 18, 27, 123, 139, 144 tamelaft, 89 tamin, 147 Tanzimat reforms, 119, 152, 162 tan, 68 tapestries, 124, 125 qiyya, 16, 80-81, 119, 171, 173 taqqant, 115-116 taqra, 170 tarb#a, 158 Tarbiyat al-Mar"a wa l-\ijb, 153 arbsh, 16, 119, 171, 173 ardwash, 134-135 ar, 57, 72 ara, 51, 73-74, 136, 155 arra (also urr, urra), 18-19, 100 tashmir, 173 tashrf, 71 tassel(s), 18, 164 tastmal, 149 tasma, 22 Tatar(s), 4, 63, 81 tattoo(s), 105 awq, 34, 52 taxes, 26, 30, 102-103, 126 aylasn (aylisa), 18, 39, 44, 48, 5152, 71, 73-74, 91, 96, 179 tzr, 89 tazerzt, 100

237

Teheran, 137 erin, 19 Tertullian, 9 textile production, 15, 25, 30, 39-41, 44, 49, 97, 98, 120-136, 169 textiles and fabrics, 1, 3, 8, 12, 14-15, 22-23, 25-26, 30-31, 33, 35, 38-52, 54, 56-60, 62, 64, 67, 69, 70, 72, 76, 82-84, 87, 90, 97, 98, 103-105, 114, 120-137, 143, 147-149, 152, 154, 164, 167-168, 170-171, 177178, 181, 190; bazaar, 49; decorated with figures, 44-45; gauzy, 152, 154; gilded, 47; iridescent, 56; luxury, 3, 10, 12, 15, 22-23, 26, 31, 33, 38 39-41, 43-50, 54, 56-58, 65, 67, 71-72, 76, 98, 103-104, 120-137; of mixed warp and woof, 44-45, 126; sheer, transparent, 38, 75, 82, 154; undyed, 45 Tha#laba b. u#ayr, 20 al-Tha#lab, 179 thawb (pl. thiyb or athwb), 12, 21, 38, 58, 70, 78-79, 90, 128, 170; thawb al-idd, 25; thiyb al-da, 24; thiyb al-khilfa, 34, 124; thiyb almundama, 46; thiyb kuliyya, 109 thieves, 74-75 Thousand and One Nights, 45, 65, 81 throne(s), 48 Tidhar, Amalia, 190 tiger"s skin, 14 tikka (pl. tikak), 37, 45-46, 76-77, 127; as token of affection, 45 Tinnis, 131 irz, 3, 40-41, 51, 54, 57, 65, 67, 71, 91, 120-137, 178; fake, 133; irzfactory (-ies), 120-126, 130-132, 134 al-Tirmidh (traditionalist), 13 tizerzay, 100 Tlemcen, 184 Toffler, Alvin, 152 toga-style, 73 tolibant, 16 tooling, 66 Topham, John, 185 traditional clothing, 2, 4, 8, 84, 118, 158, 160-161, 172-173, 183-190

238

index
Turk(s, -ish), 4, 47, 62-86, 93, 99100, 104, 133, 137, 148-150, 157158, 164, 171, 181 Turkey, 152, 154, 157, 161, 162, 167-168, 171, 185, 188, 190 Turkish fashions and modes, 62-71, 84, 93, 134-135, 137, 149-150 Turkish historians, 164 Turkish language, 16, 64, 70, 84, 93, 100, 166 urr, 18-19 Tustar, 126 Tustar, 47 twansa, 115 #ulam", 71, 97, 98, 100, 111, 112, 136, 166, 171 #Umar b. #Abd al-#Azz, 32-33, 36, 39, 101, 103 #Umar b. al-Khab, 15, 17, 38, 39, 101, 108 #Umar I. See #Umar b. al-Khab #Umar II. See #Umar b. #Abd al-#Azz al-#Umar, 64, 98 Umayyad(s), 10, 17-18, 21, 31-42, 6263, 71, 90-91, 102, 105, 122-125, 128, 142, 146, 178 Umm Khlid, 27 Umm Kulthum, 155 umma, 22, 25-26, 28, 31, 140, 159 #umud, 64 underdrawers, 10-11, 54, 75-77, 90 undergarments, 10, 11, 13, 43-45, 58, 63, 75-77, 167 underwear. See undergarments uniform(s), 51-52, 62-71, 94, 133, 134-136, 158, 161, 163-166, 172173; dress, 70; informal, 70; military. See military attire; parade, 54, 70; professional, 51-52, 94; service, 70; summer white, 70 United Arab Emirates, 150 University of Ankara, 157 University of Leiden, 176 University of Pennsylvania, 4 untailored clothing, 8, 10, 14-15, 23, 29, 79, 173 unveiling, 20, 92-93, 145-146, 150157, 168-169. See veils and veiling urban attire, 4, 8, 10, 20, 38, 44-48,

Traditionalist(s), 13-14, 18, 25, 104, 140 trailing one"s garment, 15, 77 train of a garment, 9, 77 el traje berberisco, 99 transformation of modes of dress, 3, 30-31, 38-39, 41-43, 62-63, 150160, 168-173, 184 Trans-Jordan, 123 transvestism, 26 travel literature. See American travel literature, European travel literature travelers (travelogues); European, 2-3, 18, 69, 75-76, 78, 89, 114-115, 147, 149, 163, 174, 182-183; Muslim, 56 treasury, 43, 121 trend setters, 41, 43-47, 90-91, 159, 162, 165 Tresse, R., 184 tribute, 26, 30, 101-102 trimming, 65, 67, 81, 84, 134-136, 147 Tripolitanian, 183, 191 Tritton, A. S., 187 trousers, 8, 11, 23, 29, 33, 35, 43, 45, 47, 50-52, 72, 84, 87, 98, 158, 164-165, 167, 173 trousseau(x), 3, 55, 76-77, 79, 80-82, 131, 132, 143, 147, 148 Tuareg (s), 94 tubbn (pl. tabbn), 11, 50, 75 tuft(s), 68, 81 tulbant, 16 tunic(s), 10, 12, 19, 26, 29, 38, 43-44, 50, 52, 61, 74, 86-87, 89, 95, 166, 173, 179, 190 Tunis, 27, 55, 89, 114, 179, 184 Tunisia(n, -s), 81, 86-87, 89-90, 96, 99-100, 113-114, 115, 118, 149, 158, 162, 164-165, 166, 168, 182, 189, 191 turban(s), 16-17, 19, 21, 33, 36, 4345, 48, 54-55, 67, 70, 72, 80, 9092, 94-98, 100, 102-104, 107, 109, 111-113, 121, 125, 130, 132, 135, 136, 138, 164, 171-173; composite, 16, 36, 52, 54-55, 67, 72, 91 turban cloth. See winding cloth

index
84, 89-93, 97, 99, 100, 140, 142, 144, 148, 154, 168, 170 al-ustdhn al-muannakn, 55 uzha, 99 vegetal decorative motifs, 25 Veiled Ones of Islam, The, 139 Veiled Women: Fundamentalisms Unmasked, 139 veil(s) and veiling, 10, 16, 20-21, 23, 38, 46, 57, 82, 84, 89-90, 92-93, 94-95, 97, 138-160, 161, 162, 167170, 172, 177,181, 185; face, 2021, 46, 82, 84, 90, 92-95, 97, 140143, 147-150, 152, 154-156, 159, 161,168-169; head, 23, 38, 142, 148, 152, 155, 156, 161; sheer, transparent, 82, 152, 154; abandoning ,151-157; European, 152; not being veiled, 142, 144146, 154, 162; resurgence of, 157160; sac-, 148, 159, 169; veiling the bosom, 141; veiling, 3, 9, 1821, 38, 46, 56, 57, 76-79, 82, 90, 92-93; veiling by men, 21, 94-95 vela, 139 Venetian(s), 97 vest, 74 vestimentary system(s), 1,3, 8, 10, 16, 28, 30-31, 35, 38-42, 62-63, 84, 86, 104, 120, 138, 139, 144, 152, 161, 181, 189; Arabian, 16, 29, 41; Hellenistic-Mediterranean, 16, 29, 41, 86; Irano-Turkic, 16, 29, 41 Virgil, 87 vizier(s), 43, 54-55, 76-77, 107, 108, 111, 121, 131, 136 Wafd Women"s Committee, 156 Wald I, 32 Wald II, 34, 40, 124 wardrobe(s), 43, 54, 68, 76 wars, 23 wasa, 58 washed garments, 44 washing garments, 23-25 al-Washsh". See Abu l-ayyib Muammad al-Washsh" washy, 33, 46-47, 50, 98, 104

239

wasm, 105 wawa, 142 weapons. See arms the wearer of the Turban (ib al#mma), 17 weaving, 14, 25, 44-46, 57, 120-126, 128-129, 132-134, 178 wedding dress, 99, 173, 184, 188 Weir, Shelagh, 185 Western clothing. See European clothing Western culture, 5, 16, 138-139, 150151, 161-162 westernization, 150-152, 160-169 westernizers, 150-152, 159, 161-173 Western world, 3, 16, 138, 161 white, 13, 24, 34, 37, 45-46, 54, 59, 68, 70, 74, 91, 97, 105, 111, 114, 124, 133, 135, 136, 143, 148, 152, 154, 167, 173; best of your clothes are the white, 24; Fatimid official color, 54; Umayyad official color, 34, 124; worn by abandoned women, 46 Wikan, Unni, 185 Williams, John Alden, 160 wimple, 79-80, 158 winding of majesty, 54 winding cloth, 16, 21, 36, 54, 67-68, 70, 72, 79, 90, 112-113, 114, 125, 130 wine jars, 35-36 wish, 52 wives of the Prophet, 11, 13, 15, 20, 23-25, 139-140 women, 5, 9-12, 14, 16, 19-26, 37-38, 44-46, 49, 52, 56-58, 61, 74-85, 88-90, 92-93, 95-100, 106, 108, 111-112, 115-116, 122, 133, 138160, 162, 166-170, 181, 185, 187189 wood carving, 4, 121 wooden medallion(s), 106 wool, 12-14, 31, 33, 42-43, 45, 48, 51, 67, 83, 87, 91, 97, 125, 147, 164, 171 World to come. See afterlife, Paradise, Hell World War I, 166, 169, 171 worker(s), 46, 49-51, 74-75, 142-143

240

index
Zaki, M. H. , 180 zam (also zan) 69 Zanta, 98 zrawro, 10 zarkash, 60, 134, 135 Zaydi, 85 al-zayy al-Islm, 158-160, 161, 170, 173, 186 al-zayy al-Shar#, 158, 160, 161, 186 Zayynid(s), 96 zeira, 7 Zirid(s), 106, 180 Ziryb, 90-91 zonrion, 39 Zoroastrians, 39, 52, 101 Zubayda. See Sitt Zubayda al-Zubayr b. #Awwm, 22 zunnr (pl. zannr), 39, 46, 52, 102104, 106, 110, 117, 127; straps for shoes, 48

wraps, 7-8, 10, 13-16, 20, 24, 26, 29, 36, 45, 52, 60, 73-74, 76, 78, 82, 86, 88-89, 96, 97, 111, 140-143, 149, 156, 168, 170, 172, 183 yashmaq, 84, 149, 152, 159 Yazd I, 32 yelek, 84, 100 yellow, 34, 44-46, 48, 52, 67, 84, 108, 109, 111, 113-114, 119, 124, 135; for Jews, 84, 109, 111, 114 Yemen(ite, -s) 10, 14, 23, 25-26, 44, 85, 116-117, 149, 187, 189 young men"s associations, 71 young people, 81, 108, 138-139, 157159, 168 Young Turks, 171 al-hir, 129 zajal, 92 zakt, 26

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ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA

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addenda et corrigenda

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ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA I

p. xvix, no. 4: p. 7, l. 5: p. 9, l. 11: p. 10, l. 2: p. 13, n. 20: p. 14, n. 22: p. 21, l. 15: p. 21, n. 45: p. 25, l. 15 p. 25, n. 64: p. 26, l. 22: p. 33, l. 16: p. 38, n. 27: p. 39, l. 24: p. 40, l. 16:

E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1972). > E. J. Brill: Leiden, 1972). worn by both sexes.1 > worn by both sexes.1) Imru l-Qays > Imru" al-Qays and in wider > and in the wider Imr" al-Qays > Imru" al-Qays Matkatabat al-\ayt > Makatabat al-\ayt al-Hajjj > al-\ajjj (W. de Gruyter: Berlin, 1961)2, > (W. de Gruyter: Berlin, 1961), (Musnad VI, 438) should be deleted as it is in footnote 65. bbs 46: > bb 46: burd > burda Sulaymn had penchant > Sulaymn had a penchant Al-Maba#ah al-Miriyah bil Azhar > AlMaba#a al-Miriyya bil-Azhar zonrion > zonrion #Abd al-Malik > #Abd al-Maliks son Hishm

xxxviii p. 42, l. 26: p. 42, l. 33: p. 44, l. 2: p. 47, n. 46: p. 48, l. 9: p. 51, l. 8: p. 53, n. 65: p. 53, n. 66: p. 55, l. 7: p. 55, n. 69:

addenda et corrigenda so much #Abbasid practice and protocol > so much of #Abbasid practice and protocol (khil #a) > (khila#) Abu l-ayyib > Abu "l-l-ayyib al-Ma ba#ah al-#Ilmiyyah > al-Maba#a al#Ilmiyya #Abassids > #Abbasids light weight kis " > light-weight kis " al-Muntaam f Tarkh al-Mulk wa l-Umam > al-Muntaam f Tarkh al-Mulk wa l-Umam VI M. . Zak > O. Zak tank al-imma > tank al-#imma pp. 1-28. > pp. 1-28. And see now also: Stefan C. Reif, A Jewish Archive from Old Cairo: The History of Cambridge Universitys Genizah Collection (Curzon: Richmond, Surrey, 2000). elite > lite The debate is over the zam s/zan s identity is from Dozys time to his own is summarized > The debate over the zam s/zan s identity from Dozys time to his own is summarized elite > lite Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) 3929, vol. 76 verso. > Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3929, vol. 76 verso.

p. 67, l. 3: p. 69, n. 15:

p. 70, l. 3: p. 73, n. 24:

addenda et corrigenda p. 76, n. 33: p. 78, n. 40: p. 79, l. 21: p. 79, n. 43: p. 80, l. 21: p. 82, l. 14: p. 96, n. 25: p. 106, l. 3: p. 112, l. 26: (Insitut > (Institut

xxxix

Bibliothque Nationale ms arabe 3465 > Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 3465 elite > lite Bibl. Nat. (Paris) Ms arabe 5847 > Bibliothque Nationale (Paris) ms arabe 5847 elite > lite women seated in womens balcony > women seated in the womens balcony pp. 72-72. > pp. 72-73 and 81. imposed in addition to black > in addition to imposing black Perhaps during no period in Islamic history > Perhaps during no other period in Islamic history bi-Dhikr al-I#Itibr Khi > bi-Dhikr al-Khi I. Al-Abyr and A. \. Shalibi > I. al-Abyr and A. \. Shalib al-Mas#d, Murj al-Dhahab wa-Ma#din alJawhar, ed. C. Barbier de Meynard and A. Pavet de Courteille V > al-Mas#d, Murj alDhahab wa-Ma#din al-Jawhar V, ed. C. Barbier de Meynard and A. Pavet de Courteille al-#Iqd al-Fard, II (Cairo, 1913/1331) > al#Iqd al-Fard II (n. p.: Cairo, 1913/1331) pp. 143-51. > pp. 143-151.

p. 121, n. 2: p. 124, n. 10: p. 124, n. 10:

p. 124, n. 10: p. 125, n. 13:

xl p. 128, l. 18: p. 128, n. 22: p. 130, n. 28: p. 131, n. 31: p. 136, n. 48: p. 140, n. 8: p. 142, l. 8: p. 143, n. 15: p. 148, n. 31:

addenda et corrigenda such textile and garments > such textiles and garments AI 24 (1995). > AI 29 (1995), pp. 1-24. Al-Ma#had > al-Ma#had JESHO 23 (1980). > JESHO 23 (1980), pp. . Matba#at al-Dawlah > Maba#at al-Dawla Maba#a al-Ma#rif > Maba#at al-Ma#rif Qusayr #Amra > Quayr #Amra Dar Maktabat al-\ayat > Dr Maktabat al\ayt Bibliothque Nationale (Paris), ms arabe 2964, fol. > Nationalbibliothek (Vienna) A. F. 10 fol. 3, in Dorothea Duda, Islamische Handschriften II Tafelband (sterreischischen Akademie der Wissenschaften: Vienna, 1992), Farbtafel I. where traditional-attire civilian dress is still normally traditional > where civilian dress is still normally traditional with Muslim law,), is B already noted in the preceding chapter, a modern, neo-traditionalist confection > with Muslim law), isalready noted in the preceding chaptera modern, neo-traditionalist confection (see fig. 8), > (see fig. 8a), Topham, Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia, p. 117, Pl. 3. > J. Topham, Traditional Crafts of

p. 161, ll. 3-4:

p. 161, ll. 11-13:

p. 166, l. 24: p. 166, n. 12:

addenda et corrigenda

xli

Saudi Arabia (Stacey International: London, 1982), p. 117, Pl. 3. p. 168, n. 15: p. 168, n. 17: p. 169, n. 19: p. 170, l. 11: p. 171, l. 30: p. 176, l. 38: p. 179, l. 3: p. 180, l. 11: p. 180, l. 34: p. 183, l. 10: p. 185, l. 36: p.97. > p. 97. John Topham et al., > John Topham, Tarr al-Mar " a > Tarr al-Mar " a (see Pl. 57 and 58) > (see Pl. 58 and 59) (see Pl. 69).23 > (see Pl. 69).23 Dress of Non-Muslims (1943). > Dress of NonMuslims (1943). elite > lite elite > lite elite > lite der Araber Palstinas (1901) > der Araber Palstinas (1901) al-Sha#byya al-Nis"yya > al-Sha#biyya al-Nis"iyya

p. 186, ll. 2, 9, 11: al-Sha#byya > al-Sha#biyya p. 187, l. 10: p. 188, l. 2: p. 196, l. 3: resulted in development > resulted in the development Bokhara (1976/68) > Bokhara (1967/68) Abdelkafi. Weddings in Tripolitania. Government Press: Tripoli, n.d. > Abdelkafi. Weddings in Tripolitania, trans. C. P. Bradurne. Government Press: Tripoli, n.d.

xlii p. 196, l1. 16-17:

addenda et corrigenda The entire reference for al-Libs wa l-Zin fi l-#lam al-#Arab is already correctly under Binul, on p. 198 _____. ed. and tr. > _____. ed. and trans. Turban, EI1 > Turban, EI1. Blochet, E., tr. > Blochet, E., trans. _____, tr. > _____, trans. Istis, EI2 > Istis, EI 2. al-Qms al-Mu. > al-Qms al-Mu. 4 vols. Maba#at Dr al-Mamn: Cairo, 1938/1357. al-Matba#a al-Malikiyya > al-Maba#a alMalikiyya Matba#at al-Dawlah: > Maba#at al-Dawla: Nuzhat al-Mushtq fi Ikhtirq al-Afqq > Nuzhat al-Mushtq fi "khtirq al-Afqq Izzi, N. Anm min al-Azy" al-Sha#bya al-Nis"ya. 1975. > Izz, Najla, al-. Anm min al-Azy" alSha#biyya al-Nis"iyya. Markaz al-Turth alSha#b li-Duwal al-Khalj al-#Arabiyya: Doha, 1975. Al-Malbis al-Sha#bya fl-#Irq. > al-Malbis alSha#biyya fi l-#Irq. Ta" rkh al-Azy" al-Sha#bya f Mir > Ta" rkh alAzy" al-Sha#biyya f Mir al-Azy" al-Sha#bya. 1965. > al-Azy" al-Sha#biyya. Manshrt Wizrat al-Thaqfa, 1965.

p. 197, l. 20: p. 198, l. 20: p. 198, l. 23: p. 198, l. 27: p. 200, l. 47: p. 201, l. 1: p. 203, l. 10: p. 203, ll. 45-46: p. 204, l. 24: p. 204, l. 41:

p. 204, l. 44: p. 205, l. 28: p. 205, l. 29:

addenda et corrigenda p. 205, l. 41:

xliii

Kurz, \, and O. Kurz > Kurz, \ and Kurz, O.

p. 207, ll. 1 and 3: wa-rusmuhum f Mir > wa-Rusmuhum f Mir p. 208, l. 9: p. 209, l. 5: Morag, S; > Morag, S., Qays, Imr al-. > Qays, Imru" al-, in al-Zawzan, Shar al-Mu#allaqt al-Sab#. Dr al-Qms al-\adth: Beirut, n.d. tr. Yedida K. Stillman > trans. Yedida K. Stillman ed. and tr. > ed. and trans. Daniel Frank.. > Daniel Frank. Libs. EI 2 > Libs. EI 2. EI 2 > EI 2. al-Maba#a al-Maymaniyya: Cairo, 1887. > al-Maba#a al-Maymniyya: Cairo, 1887/1305. Sirj al-Mul Cairo, 1872/1289. > Sirj alMul Blq: Cairo, 1872/1289. Matba#at Dr al-Kutub al-Miriyya > Maba#at Dr al-Kutub al-Miriyya

p. 209, l. 31: p. 210, l. 41: p. 211, l. 29: p. 211, l. 37: p. 212, l. 7: p. 212, ll. 15-16: p. 213, l. 8: p. 214, l. 5:

xliv

addendum to bibliography

ADDENDUM TO BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bullock, Katherine, Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical and Modern Stereotypes. The International Institute of Islamic Thought: London, 2002. Elias, Jamal J. The Sufi Robe (Khirqa) as a Vehicle of Spiritual Authority, in Robes and Honor: The Medieval World of Investiture, ed. Stewart Gordon. Palgrave: New York and Houndsmills, 2001. Hambly, Gavin R. G. From Baghdad to Bukhara, from Ghazna to Delhi: The khil#a Ceremony in the Transmission of Kingly Pomp and Circumstance, in Robes and Honor: The Medieval World of Investiture, ed. Stewart Gordon. Palgrave: New York and Houndsmills, 2001. Petry, Carl F. Robing Ceremonials in Late Mamluk Egypt: Hallowed Traditions, Shifting Protocols, in Robes and Honor: The Medieval World of Investiture, ed. Stewart Gordon. Palgrave: New York and Houndsmills, 2001. Sanders, Paula, Robes of Honor in Fatimid Egypt, in Robes and Honor: The Medieval World of Investiture, ed. Stewart Gordon. Palgrave: New York and Houndsmills, 2001. Steet, Linda. Veils and Daggers: A Century of National Geographics Representation of the Arab World. Temple University Press: Philadelphia, 2000. Gordon, Stewart, ed. Robes and Honor: The Medieval World of Investiture. Palgrave: New York and Houndsmills, 2001. Malb, Amad. Mu#jam al-Malbis f Lisn al-#Arab. Maktabat Lubnn: Beirut, 1995. Sourdel, Dominique. Robes of Honor in #Abbasid Baghdad During the Eighth to Eleventh Centuries, in Robes and Honor: The Medieval

addendum to bibliography

xlv

World of Investiture, ed. Stewart Gordon. Palgrave: New York and Houndsmills, 2001. Venel, Nancy. Musulmanes franaise: Des pratiquantes voiles luniversit. LHarmattan: Paris and Montral, 1999.

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addenda et corrigenda

ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA II

Plate Captions at end (unpaginated): 34c, l. 2: 38, l. 2: 48, l. 2: 50, l. 2: 50, l. 4: 60, l. 2: izm > izm The Art of Is > The Art of Issmir > t6 smir smir > t6 smir jukha-coat 6 > jukha-coat abara > abara

Figures at end (unpaginated): 2, l. 3: After al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita > After al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita

PLATES

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terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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1. Pilgrims wearing the irm garments consisting of an izr around the waist and a rid} draped over the upper part of the chest. (National Geographic Magazine)

60
chapter two
2. Majnn at Layls tomb wearing only tubbn. From a 15th-century copy of Amr Khusraw Divlavs Khamseh (Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

31

3. Caliphal statue from Khirbet al-Mafjar wearing Sasanian-style qab} with pearl border. From: J. Sourdel-Thomine and B. Spuler, Die Kunst des Islam (Propylen Verlag: Berlin, 1973).

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chapter two

4. Hanging caliphal qalansuwa (Khirbet al-Mafjar). From: Richard Ettinghausen, From Byzantium to Sasanian Iran and the Islamic World (E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1972).

5. Mamd of Ghazna donning a Khil {a sent by the Caliph al-Qhir in 1000 A.D. as depicted in a manuscript of Rashd al-Dns Jmi {al-Tavrkh (Edinburgh University Library).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

31

6. Q seated on raised chair atop the minbar with a black aylasn draped over his turban and shoulders as depicted in a 13th-century manuscript of the Maqmt of al-Harr . (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 6094, folio 93).

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chapter two

7. Seated q with a long white ara drawn over his turban and shoulders in a 14th century Egyptian manuscript of the Maqmt (Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, A. F. 9, fol. 30 verso).

8. Figure depicted on a Fatimid lustre ware bowl wearing a giant ellipsoid turban (perhaps the caliphal tj al-sharf ). From Marilyn Jenkins, Western Islamic Influences on Ftimid Egyptian Iconography, Kunst des Orients 10:1-2 (1975).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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9. Tuareg wearing a turban in the muannak style. Courtesy of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.

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chapter two

10. A Geniza trousseau list detailing jewelry, clothing, bedding, and household utensils (TS J 1, 29).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

31

11. Woman (left) wearing a broadly striped robe and matching shawl from a unique 13thcentury Maghrebi (either Spain or Ceuta) manuscript of the romance Hadth Bay wa . Riy (Biblioteca Apostolica, Vatican, ms Arabo 368, fol. 13).

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chapter two

12. Two medical students depicted in a 13th-century manuscript of Dioscurides De Materia Medica, from Northern Iraq or Syria. The one on the right is wearing a finely striped thawb (perhaps the pattern known as jr al-qalam, or the flow of the pen) with a patterned golden irz band on the upper sleeve (Topkapu Sarayi Mzesi, ms Ahmet III, 2127, fol. 2).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

13. Seated drinking figure wearing a robe with ornamental spots (probably the so-called mu {ayyan, with eyes, pattern) on a Fatimid ceramic (Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, no. 15501).

14. Seated figure of Ab Zayd wearing a paneled tunic from an early 14th-century Maqmt manuscript, probably from Syria (BM Add. 22.114, f. 98).

31

60

chapter two

15. A paneled fragment of a medieval textile (Abegg Stiftung, Riggisberg, inv. no. 2644).

16. Fatimid Egyptian textile fragment of silk and linen with sharanj checkered pattern with stylized birds from the second half of the 11th century (Muse dart et dhistoire, Geneva, Collection Bouvier, JFB M 150. Nathalie Sabato, photographer).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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17. Mamluk polo players wearing aqbiya turkiyya cinched at the waist by a band as depicted on an enamelled glass caraffe from Syria, ca. 1260-1270 (Staatliche Museen fr Islamische Kunst, Berlin, Katalog 1971).

18. Buckle, roundels, and upright plaques of a iya of the Mamluk sultan al-Malik al-li Ism{l (ruled 1342-1345/743-746), belonging to the David Salomons Charitable Trust. From: L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume (Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952).

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chapter two

19. Frontispiece of a mid-13th-century manuscript, probably from Mosul of the Kitb alDiryq of Pseudo-Galen showing an informal court scene in the center with a seated Turkish ruler (on left) wearing a fur-trimmed, patterned qab} maft with elbow-length irz sleeves and on his head a sharbsh. Most of his attendants wear aqbiya turkiyya and kalawta caps. Workman depicted behind the palace and riders in the lower register wear the brimmed hat with conical crown known as sarqj. On the sarqj of one workman is a crisscrossed colored takhffa with a brooch or plaquette pinned in the center of the overlap. The women on camels in the lower righthand corner wear a sac-like head veil kept in place by a cloth {iba (Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, ms A. F. 10, fol. 1).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

20. Inlaid metal basin (so-called Baptistre de St. Louis) depicting Mamluk soldiers several of whom have blazons on their boots (Louvre, Paris).

31

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chapter two

21. Illumination from the Maqmt painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237 depicting the pilgrims caravan. The two walking figures are both wearing rnt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, fol. 94 verso).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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22. Frontispiece of a court scene from a Maqmt manuscript, probably from Egypt, dated 1334. The enthroned prince wears a brocaded qab maft with inscribed irz armbands over a qab} turk which is cinched at the waist with a iya of gold roundels (bawkir). The two musicians at the lower right both wear turkic coats and plumed caps, one of which has an upwardly turned brim. The plumes are set in a front metal plaque ({amd) (Nationalbibliothek, Vienna, ms A. F. 9, fol. 1).

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chapter two

23. Frontispiece of Kitb al-Aghn from Iraq, ca. 1218/19 depicting the enthroned atabeg Badr al-Dn Lu}lu} {Abd Allh wearing a gold brocaded (zarkash), lined qab} turk with gold irz armbands on which his name is clearly inscribed. His boots are of red leather with gold, probably stamped, vegetal decoration. On his head is a fur-trimmed sharbsh. Most of his attendants wear Turkish coats, boots, and a variety of kalawtt (Millet Ktphanesi, Istanbul, Feyzullah Efendi ms 1566, folio 1b).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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24. Classroom scene from Maqmt manuscript dated 1222, probably from Syria. Some of the schoolboys are wearing Turkish military kalawta caps, a medieval parallel to the military caps worn by students in 19th- and early 20th-century Central and Eastern Europe (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 6094, fol. 167).

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chapter two

25a-b. Two illuminations from a 13th-century Maqmt manuscript. The first shows Ab Zayd in an unusual short-sleeved jacket; the second a youth in a long-sleeved one (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, folios 104 and 68 verso).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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25b

26. Ab Zayd in short robe with unusual mid-calf length straight sirwl of some soft fabric with irregular hems, and on his feet pointed soft leather shoes rolled down just above the ankles. On his head is a qalansuwa awla cut to curve around the side of the face and extending down the back of the neck. Perhaps this outfit reflects the garb of the futuwwa or the {ayyrn (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, folio 69).

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chapter two

27. A pair of striped Mamluk sirwl (Muse de Cinquantenaire. From: L. A. Mayer, Mamluk Costume, Albert Kundig: Geneva, 1952).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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28. Scene from a manuscript dated 1199, probably from Northern Iraq, of the Kitb al-Diryq of Pseudo-Galen showing watching agricultural labors. Three of the workers wear only kneebritches (tubbn). The unveiled woman sitting in the lower lefthand corner with a sieve in her hand wears only sirwl, a sheer qam with elbow-length sleeves, and tight-fitting cap on her head (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 2964, old page 22).

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chapter two

29. Elegant woman depicted in a 13th-century Maqmt manuscript. She is wearing a wide-sleeved brocade, knee-length robe with clearly inscribed irz armbands. On her head is a polka dot headscarf which falls down the back to her waist and is held in place with an {iba m }ila and a pearl chin chain (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3939, fol. 151).

30. Miniature from an early 13th-century Kalla wa-Dimna manuscript, probably from Baghdad, showing a woman in a narrow-sleeved, full-length, close-fitting brocade robe wearing a wimple-like mandl, held in place with a metal sar band, addressing the king, who is wearing a qab} turk with uninscribed irz armbands, and chiseled gold tj (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3465, fol. 131 verso).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

32. Illumination from Maqmt manuscript painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237 depicting a preacher addressing the congregation in a mosque. The women seated in the upper gallery are wrapped in plain or brocaded silk mantles (ardiya), some of which have decorative borders. They are wearing a variety of veils, including the qin { (or miqna {a), the niqb, and the sha {riyya. One woman (third from left) is wearing a pair black mesh gloves (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, folio 58 verso).

31

31. Fatimid metal figurine of a woman playing a tamborine or flat drum with a jewel-studded kfiyya on her head (Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, no. 6983).

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chapter two

33. Womans yelek of indigo blue linen with multicolored silk embroidery from Aleppo, ca. 1850. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No.3361)

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

31

34a-c. Three photos of men and women from the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The above photograph (a) depicts three individuals from Aleppo (from left to right): a Jewish woman in a striped silk antr over a light-colored khirqa, and on her head the wig of married woman, covered by a wuqya-hat; a man in fine bedouin attire consisting of a white thawb cinched with a izm, over which is a dark bansh-coat, and as a headdress, a patterned kfiyya or aa held in place with a large brm or {aql; a bedouin woman wearing a dark thawb with a izm and on her head and shoulders to form a wimple a large dark shutfa held in place with a dark {iba-headband.

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chapter two

34b. This photograph shows a Jewish couple in Jerusalem. The woman is wearing a dark green fustan-dress over which is a white cashmere sala-jacket, and on her head is a turban consisting of a bonnet (called fotoz by Jews, khotoz by Turks) around which printed so-called yaman kerchiefs are wound with a chain of pearls hanging above the bridge of the nose and going around each cheek to create a minimalist burqu{ and over the entire headress a large white muslin head shawl pinned beneath the chin and covering most of the upper torso. The man wears a white cashmere jubba over a striped antr which is cinched with a large scarf. Around his neck is a cashmere shl with a palmette border carefully draped to crisscross over his chest, and on his head a turban consisting of a kavese-hat with a wrapping cloth of white muslin with wavy stripes.

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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34c. This picture shows a Tripolitanian merchant in a white farajiyya (or durr{a) cinched with a white izm above which is a narrow belt for his decorative dagger, and on his head a shadda-turban. (From: Hamdy Bey and M. de Launay, Les costumes populaires de la Turquie en 1873, Constantinople, 1873, Pls. XXV, XXXVI, and XLII).

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chapter two

35. 19th-century engraving of Egyptian man of the bourgeoisie in striped jubba cinched witha izm, over which is a dark bansh, and with an {imma consisting of a skullcap and winding cloth. From: E. W. Lane, The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians (A. Gardiner: London, 1898), p. 47.

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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36. High Atlas akhnf, a black woolen hooded cape with distinctive embroidery that includes a large orange-red eye at the lower back. It belongs to the general type of North African mantle called burns. From: G. Rousseau, Le costume au Maroc, Paris, 1938, Pl. 3.

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chapter two

37. Various styles of draping a mans kis} or }ik in early twentieth century Morocco. From: E. Doutt, Merrkech, Paris, 1905.

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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38. Detail from the carved ivory Andalusian pyxis of al-Mughra, dated 968, with a genre scene depicting bareheaded figures. From: J.D. Dodds (ed.), Al-Andalus: The Art of Is lamic Spain, New York, 1992.

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chapter two

39. Illumination from the 13th-century manuscript adth Bay wa-Riy, from Islamic Spain or Ceuta, the hero Bay is playing the {d in the garden of the wealthy mistress of the house and her handmaidens, all of whom are unveiled and bareheaded except for the lady who wears a large golden tj. He wears a large ovoid turban with a gold irz factory patch on the front (Biblioteca Apostolica, Vatican, ms arabo 368, fol. 10).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

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40. The lover Bay wearing a smaller, round irz turban with a pointed cap barely protruding through the winding cloth receives letter sent by his beloved. The messenger veils the lower partof her face holding her milafa there with her right hand (Biblioteca Apostolica, Vatican, ms arabo 368, fol. 17).

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chapter two

41. Moroccan Jewish women in festive attire, sometime in the 1930s. One wears a large crown (tj), the other two wearing diadems (tuwayj). All these confections are of chiseled gold set with gemstones. On the ground in front of them are their gold embroidered riiyytslippers (Collection of family photographs of Y. K. Stillman).

terminal histories and arthurian solutions

31

42. Detailed sketches of Moroccan urban womens gold tiara and diadems set with gemstones (Jean Besancenot, Bijoux arabes et berbres du Maroc, Casablanca, 1953, Pl. X).

43. Tuareg nobleman wearing the tagilmust, the traditional turban with face veil similar to the lithm of the Almoravids. (Photograph by Victor Englebert in Nomads of the World, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C., 1971, p. 113.)

44. Manuscript illumination in the Escorial of the Libro de Ajedrez made for Alfonso X in Seville in 1283. It shows Mudejars explaining chess moves to the Christian ruler. All, including the king wear turbans, except for the guard. The two seated players were the tank, while the standing Mudejar wear a turban wound around a qalansuwa. The king wears a robe with astral designs and irz bands on the upper arm inscribed in Arabic. From: R. I. Burns, Islam Under the Crusaders (Princeton University Press: Princeton, 1973), unpaginated and unnumbered plate.

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chapter two

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45. Green silk composite dress embroidered with gold thread from 15th-century Spain, whichis one of the prototypes of the Moroccan kiswa l-kabra. From: Karl Khler, A History of Costume (G. G, Harrap: London, 1928), p. 228.

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chapter two

46. Kiswa l-kabra of violet velvet richly embroidered with gold thread (qill) from Tetouan, probably 19th century. The composite dress consists of a wrap-around jala-skirt, a qumbz-corselet over a ktif-plastron, and detachable akmm-sleeves (Courtesy of the Israel Museum).

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47. Algerian mufti wearing long Andalusian sirwl, over which is a dark blue qafn, a shortsleeved qab}a -vest and a white silhm. On his head is a Turkish-style {imma mubarraja over which is tied a large dark scarf known as a muannaka which is tied at the neck to form a cowl similar to the ancient aylasn. From: G. Marais, Le costume musulman dAlger (Librairie Plon: Paris, 1930), Pl. XIII-Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, Estampes O f 2 a.

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48. Painting of a Jewish woman from the Dra{ Valley in Southern Morocco. She wears a straight, simple shift of white cotton, called smir or mir (from Andalusian tashamr), over which is a white izr wound around the body twice, then pulled over the shoulders from the back, and pinned on both sides of the bosom with a pair of silver fibulae, called khillla in Arabic and tizerzay in Berber. Her head is tightly covered with a small red silk scarf with colored stripes, called {abrq with false tresses of horse hair, wool, silk or feathers protruding at the forehead and in back, and with tufts of ostrich feathers at the temples. Another scarf, called qab, forms a headband to hold the {abrq in place. The two head scarves are fastened with a large network of double chains, called talgamt, which also supports the weight of the enormous hoop earings or akhr. A large fishlveil covers the head and falls down over the shoulders and back. From: Jean Besancenot, Costumesdu Maroc (Edisud: Aix-en-Provence and Al Kalam: Rabat. 1988), Pl. 60.

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49. Tetouani Jew in traditional black garb, ca. 1900. From: Jewish Communities in Spanish Morocco (Beth Hatefusoth, The Nahum Goldman Museum of the Jewish Diaspora: Tel Aviv, 1983), unpaginated and unnumbered plate.

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50. The Jewish amn of the jewelers in Mogador, Morocco, 1935. He wears traditional black attire. Over his white smir-body shirt is a farajiyya, then an unbuttoned bad {iyyavest, both of which are cinched with a multicolored silk kirsiyya-cummerbund, and finally an open jukha-coat all of which are black. His headcovering is a traditional black shshiyya. (Courtesy of the Israel Museum, Besancenot Collection, No. BB 27.)

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51. Linen thawb with decorative embroidered collar, vertical bands in front, on hem, and sleeves.(Courtesy of the Coptic Museum, Cairo, No. 2066.)

52. irz silk fragment inscribed with name of the Fatimid caliph al-kim (10071021) and decorated with birds (muayyar). (Courtesy of the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo, No. 8264.)

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53. Village scene in the Maqmt, painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237. All of the women, indoors and out, are unveiled (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, folio 138).

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54. Courtroom scene from a Maqmt manuscript from, ca. 1240. One of the two women before the q wearing a bukhnuq-wimple and an izr draped toga-fashion is barefaced. The other holds her rid} mantle across her face as a veil (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, folio 134).

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55. Interment scene at the graveyard from the Maqmt manuscript painted by al-Wsi in Baghdad in 1237. All of the female mourners are without veils (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5847, folio 29 verso).

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56. Illumination from a Maqmt manuscript, probably from Syria, ca. 1300, depicting two women accompanying Ab Zayd on the road. Both women wear a white miqna{a covering the entire lower portion of the faces, and both are enveloped in large wraps, a white izr for the woman on the left and a colored rid } for the one between the two men (British Museum Add 22114, fol. 135 verso).

57. Engraving of 19th-century black burqu{-veils. From: E. W. Lane, The Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians ( J. M. Dent & Sons: London and Toronto, and E. P. Dutton: New York, 1908), p. 51.

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58. Moroccan woman in jellba with a straight rectangular lithm fastened under the hood (collection of Y. K. Stillman).

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59. Moroccan woman in Tetouan jellba with a triangular bandana-style lithm fastened over the hood. (Courtesy of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.)

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60. Engraving of two women in 19th-century Lattakia, Syria. The standing figure is veiled witha flowered full-face veil and an enveloping dark abara, the reclining figure with a white yashmaq, and light colored mul}a. From: Lortet, La Syrie daujourdhui (Paris, 1884), plate facing p. 48.

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61. Iraqi izr with bsha/pa screen veil covering the entire face. (Courtesy of Israel Museum, Jerusalem.)

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62. A Rabati Jewish woman in the 1920s enveloped in a white fringed izr which she holds across her face below the eyes with her right hand. Her jala-skirt with its decorative bands of gold-thread embroidery extends below her wrap. From: J. Goulven, Les mellahs de Rabat-Sal (Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner: Paris, 1927), Pl. XIV.

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63. Veiled women in both traditional and western attire in Istanbul. From: LIllustration (1907), reprinted in Hayat ( January 4, 1957).

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64. Black {abya of tightly woven coarse wool, possibly goat hair, from 1930s Palestine. Gold and silver metallic thread (qaab) is used for decoration around the neck opening and along the shoulder seam. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No. FA 72.25-32.)

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65. Mans qumbz from the Hebron area of brown herringbone twill weave with striped silk facing. It was machine stitched between 1950-1960 and has the modern innovation of pockets on either side. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No. FA 72.25-2a.)

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66. Moroccan bulgha in various colors and leathers. The ones with rounded toe and colored thread embroidery are from the High Atlas. (Collection of Y. K. Stillman. Photographer: Forrest Bacigalupi).

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b
67a-b. Front and back view of a Palestinian taqra or sala of black silk crepe with multicolored cotton thread embroidery from ca. 1940. The floral and avian motifs are foreign. Another innovation is the two large pockets on the inside front. (Courtesy of the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Accession No. FA 72.25-33).

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68. A Moroccan boys striped woolen jallba (Courtesy of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism).

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69. Transjordanian villager in the early 20th-century wearing a thawb, kibr, and {ab }a. On his head is a dark kfiyya and thick {aql. From: Alois Musil, Arabia Petraea (Vienna, 1908), fig. 29.

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70. Traditional womans wedding ensemble known as qmjja kabra still worn in Nabeul, Tunisia. From: S. Sethom, La tunique de mariage en Tunisie, Cahiers des Arts et Traditions Populaires 3 (1969), fig. 9.

FIGURES

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1. Qab} tatar fasted with bow ties on right side and cinched with a sash. After al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib al-Thbita (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5036, fol. 82 verso).

2. Qab} fastened in front with frog buttons and cinched with a sash tied with a large knot. After al-f, Kitb rat al-Kawkib alThbita (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 5036, fol. 43 verso).

3. Sandal with crisscrossed thongs at ankle. After al-arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, fol. 76 verso).

4. Sandal with thongs simply tied around ankle. After al- arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, fol. 76 verso).

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5. Example of a simple scarf laid crisscross at the chest. After al-arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arab 5847, tenth maqma).

6. Short Rid} with the two ends tied in front with a large knot. After al-arr, Maqmt (Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, ms arabe 3929, fol. 42 verso).

7. Moroccan-style farajiyya. After Brunot, Noms de vtements masculins Rabat.

8a. Moroccan-style fawqiyya. After Brunot, Noms de vtements masculins Rabat.

8b. Moroccan-style tashmir (mir). After Brunot, Noms de vtements masculins Rabat.

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9. Examples of present-day styles of the niqb in the Arabian Gulf states (where it is also called burqu{). After, Kanafani, Aesthetics and Ritual in the United Arab Emirates.

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10. Example of fuller form of a womens azy} shar{iyya outfit as worn in Egypt. After Rugh, Reveal and Conceal.

11. Example of the Palestinian thawb. After Stillman, Palestinian Costume and Jewelry.

REVELATION