This is a handmade dress from the mid 1900’s. Every detail has been hand stitched and sewn. It was carefully stored in an attic, untouched, for more than 50 years. It has been professionally washed and mended but could show characteristics of gentle wear and age. Any small holes or tears have been mended with love. It has many years of life left but should be handled with care.
MORE INFO:
What is batik?
An Indonesian method of hand-printing textiles by coating with wax the parts not to be dyed.
Batik textiles feature ornate patterns created by brushing or pouring hot wax onto undyed fabric. The fabric is then dyed, and the wax is removed with boiling water to reveal the patterns. This process can be repeated multiple times to created layered patterns with different colors.
Because batik is handmade it is not perfect which is what makes each piece of fabric so special and one-of-a-kind. It is are very labor intensive to produce, batiks usually cost more than printed fabrics.
The kaftan/caftan has a very long history. It was considered a very prestigious garment during the reign of the Ottoman empire in Mesopotamia, the ancient region in the eastern Mediterranean. The type of fabric used, the details, and the amount of work put into the kaftan indicated a person's social status. The finer, more elaborate kaftans were worn by people of a higher rank or by those who were particularly close to or favored by a Sultan.
