Iran is a country with a very ancient and proud history. It is also a country with a harsh climate, with deserts and mountains and an overall lack of water. Formerly known as Persia, it lies at the cross-roads between Asia, the Near East and Europe. Iran is the homeland of many empires, including the Persian Achaemenids, the Parthians, the Sassanians and the Safavids. Over the centuries numerous groups crossed the country, in both directions. Some of the newcomers settled down, others moved on. Nowadays Iran has frontiers with Afghans, Arabs, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Pakistanis, Turks and Turkmen.
The country’s geography, climate and human history created a complex tapestry that reflects a wide diversity of cultures and traditions. Although rapidly vanishing in some areas due to national pressures and globalisation, many aspects of these traditions can still be found in the regional dress of the country, especially that worn by women.
Most of the outfits in the planned exhibition date from the end of the 19th to the end of the 20th century and are now in the collection of the Textile Research Centre, Leiden. Many of the garments were collected during long periods of field work in Iran between 1998-2003 by the proposed guest curators. The garments originate from among most of the main ethnic groups, plus some smaller ones. There are many more regional variations!
General Information
TRC curators: Dr Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood; Dr Willem Vogelsang
Type of exhibition: Regional
Size of exhibition:c. 150 sq metres
Intended audience: Anyone interested in textiles and dress; anyone interested in Iran and the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent; Muslim communities; Iranians; Parsis (Zoroastrians); anyone involved in aspects of multi-cultural society.
Specific Information
Contents: The proposed exhibition deals with urban and regional costumes from what is now called Iran, but for centuries was known as Persia. It contains clothing of the men, women and children from urban centres and all of the main ethnic groups and minorities currently living in Iran. Emphasis is placed on the cultural/religious groups and where they live and how the two elements relate to each other.
Manner of presentation: Most of the clothing listed below consists of complete outfits that can be displayed on mannequins; some of the garments will be displayed individually, in showcases or on rolls. The exhibition will be supplemented with a range of black and white and colour photographs from the late nineteenth century until the present day, showing the style of garments on show being worn in daily life. Text boards and maps will provide further information.
Motivation: Iran is coming out of a long period when it was virtually cut-off from the Western world. There is a growing interest in the country in the media and by the general public. The garments to be displayed will provide a totally different image of the country from the one which is normally expected. Such an exhibition has never been staged before in Europe and it is possible because the TRC has the largest collection of Iranian dress outside of Iran.
Collections involved: TRC.
Publications: An accompanying book on Iranian dress is currently being produced (2011). A small catalogue or booklets on the clothing of specific groups from Iran are also feasible.
Exhibition contents
Urban
Late 19th century clothing
- Court official clothing for a man, indoor clothing
- Outfit for a wealthy woman, indoor clothing
- Outfit for a poor woman, outdoor clothing
- Outfit for a female servant, outdoor clothing
Modern clothing
- Woman in black chador, general
- Female servant in a chador, general
- Woman in manteau with rosary, general
- Schoolgirl, general
- Schoolboy, general
- Mullah/black turban/winter, religious
- Muharram – boy, religious
- Muharram – man, religious
Central
- Abiyaneh woman, festive
- Abiyaneh woman, daily
- Abiyaneh man, daily
- Yazd Zoroastrian woman, traditional
- Yazd Zoroastrian woman, modern
Caspian and northwestern regions
- Gilan mountains – old man, general
- Gilan mountains – woman, Deilami
- Gilan woman, Talish
- Gilan woman, Amlash
- Turkish/Azeri young woman, daily
- Turkish/Azeri older woman, festival
- Shahsavan man, nomadic
- Shahsavan woman, nomadic
Western valleys
- Kurdish man, sal sepik style
- Kurdish man, pesmerga style
- Kurdish man, rank-o-choukhah style
- Kurdish boy, modern
- Kurdish woman, modern
- Kurdish woman, Khoy/Jalali
- Kurdish woman, Chakaq/Urumia
- Kurdish woman, Naqadi
- Kurdish woman, Mahabad, festival
- Kurdish woman, Sanandaj
- Kurdish girl, Sanandaj
- Kurdish woman , Kermanshah
- Kurdish girl, Kermanshah
- Kurdish woman, Haraki
- Kurdish woman, working
Southwestern mountains
- Bakhtiari man, nomadic, mourning
- Bakhtiari boy, nomadic
- Bakhtiari woman, nomadic
- Bakhtiari girl, nomadic
- Luri man, nomadic
- Luri woman, nomadic
- Luri girl, nomadic
- Qashqai man, nomadic
- Qashqai woman, nomadic
- Qashqai girl, nomadic
Southern plains and Persian Gulf
- Khuzestan Arab man, winter
- Khuzestan Arab man, summer
- Khuzestan Arab woman, winter
- Khuzestan Arab woman, party
- Bandar Abbas man, winter
- Bandar Abbas boy, winter
- Bandar Abbas woman, Sunnite
- Bandar Abbas woman, Shi’ite
- Bandar Abbas girl, general
- Baluch man, summer
- Baluch boy, summer
- Baluch woman, summer
- Baluch girl, summer
- Sistani man, general
- Sistani woman, general
Northeastern regions
- Mazanderan woman, working
- Kazak woman, festival
- Yomut Turkmen man, old fashioned, winter
- Yomut Turkmen, younger
- Yomut Turkmen woman, old fashioned
- Yomut Turkmen woman, modern
- Garkaz Turkmen woman, modern
- Garkaz Turkmen girl, traditional
- Guklan Turkmen woman, traditional
- Nokhorli Turkmen woman, traditional
- Teke Turkmen woman, traditional
- Askhabad Turkmen woman, modern
- Turkmen man, nomadic
- Quchan Kurd woman, nomadic
- Quchan Kurd woman, nomadic