Object Details
Description
Warp faced plain weave.
Label
The term "ikat" is derived from the Malay-Indonesian verb mengikat, which literary means “to bind, tie, or wind around.” It refers to a complex ancient technique, a method of wrapping yarns to form areas of resist and then dyeing these sections before the cloth is woven. Unlike other textiles, therefore, the individual motifs and overall design of an ikat have to be determined and established prior to the actual weaving.
Although ikat dyeing is known in many parts of the world, ikat textiles associated with the oasis kingdoms of Central Asian (khanat) are unrivaled for their brilliant palette and bold designs. Their superb quality and high level of production in the eighteenth century is a direct result of the cultural and economic renaissance of the khanat before absorption into the Soviet Empire.
Produced in the cities of Bukhara, Samarqand, in present-day Uzbekistan and in the towns of the Farghana Valley in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, ikat wall hangings and robes brought the vibrant colors of a blooming garden to a stark desert region. Also referred to as abr (cloud), ikat hangings embellished mud-plastered walls and were used to construct outdoor pavilions and tents for special occasions. Ikat coats, often worn in many layers, established the social status of men, while women proudly included them in their dowry and wore them at weddings and other family festivities.
Ikat production required the skill of many workers: women raised the silk-moth larvae, whose cocoons supplied the filaments for weaving. Men dyed the threads, wove them, and polished the finished fabric to give it luster. In Central Asia, diverse ethnic groups specialized in different skills: Tajiks, for instance, were responsible for dyeing red and yellow colors; Jews controlled the trade and indigo color, and Uzbeks wove most of the adras, or silk and cotton ikats. This division of labor offers a fascinating look into textile production in Central Asia and the traditional guild system.
Provenance
To 2006
Dr. Guido Goldman (1937-2020) [1]
From 2006
National Museum of Asian Art, gift of Dr. Guido Goldman [2]
Notes:
[1] This was donated by Dr. Guido Goldman in 2006. Dr. Goldman worked in New York City and lived in Concord, Massachusetts.
[2] From 2006-2023, the object was part of the National Museum of Asian Art’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection and on March 21, 2023, the work was internally transferred to the National Museum of Asian Art Collection.
Research updated on November 24, 2025
Collection
National Museum of Asian Art Collection
Exhibition History
Ikat: Splendid Silks from Central Asia from the Guido Goldman Collection (April 26 to September 7, 1998)
Previous custodian or owner
Dr. Guido Goldman (1937-2020)
Credit Line
Gift of Guido Goldman
Date
mid 19th century
Accession Number
S2006.10
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Costume and Textile
Medium
Ikat dyed silk warp, undyed cotton weft
Dimensions
H x W: 227.8 x 148 cm (89 11/16 x 58 1/4 in)
Origin
Uzbekistan
Related Online Resources
Google Arts & Culture
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
ikat
flat-woven
silk (fiber)
Uzbekistan
Arts of the Islamic World
Goldman collection
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_S2006.10