Syria has a rich history of silk production and weaving that stretches back to the first century. This exquisite jacket (aba) was likely woven in a high-end workshop in Damascus, one of Syria’s most renowned weaving centers, for a boy in the Druze community.
Known as the “Sons of Grace,” the Druze are a tightly knit religious sect who believe in mutual protection and truthfulness, as well as equality for men and women, separation of church and state, and the abolition of slavery. Despite these peaceful tenets, the Druze are also known as fierce fighters, at least in defense of their own.
In the 18th century the Druze people migrated to the mountainous Hauran area of what is today southwestern Syria, where they farmed wheat. The Hauran was an important grain-producing region on the Silk Road and pilgrimage route to Mecca, and the Druze most likely prospered from grain sales.
The family who purchased this jacket must have been wealthy to afford such luxury. Woven in the slit tapestry technique with expensive silk and metallic wrapped threads, this diminutive aba stands out from everyday coats made of unadorned wool or goat hair. Floral motifs are ubiquitous in such fine silk weaving, and you can see tiny pink flowers on the back of the coat, where they were sure to be seen.
Today, most Druze are still concentrated in Syria and Lebanon, though many live in the United States. Syria’s storied weaving workshops, however, are mostly lost, as Damascus, Aleppo and other major centers are decimated by political strife.
