Ensemble

In the pictureA short black outer garment is shown on a mannequin. The front hangs open without a fastening, and a thick band of curly black fleece runs from the neck down the front edges to the hem. A round tuft of the same fleece rises at the end of each shoulder, and the sleeves end above the elbow and flare wide. The body is closely embroidered with vertical bands and loop patterns in the same black thread on a black ground, so the pattern appears depending on the angle of the light. A thin border of white stitching shows at the ends of the sleeves.

BackgroundAccording to the Met's record, the ensemble has twelve pieces, a through l, and the garment in the photograph (a) is 55.9cm long at the back. Among the pieces listed with it are a garment 99.1cm long at the back, a long sash of 260.4cm and a pair of shoes 27.9cm long. The materials are wool, cotton, silk, ramie and leather, and the leather may be the fleece-covered edging. The region field says only "Central," but among the same 1988 gifts from Bertha May Taylor are garments recorded with Albanian city names, so it can be read as central Albania. It comes from the same donor as the braided vest (85846).

Puzzle tipNearly every piece is black, so texture is the only clue. Fleece pieces have fuzzy outlines, and the embroidered body pieces show fine lines. First fit the mannequin's off-white neck and lower torso and the garment's outline where it meets the white background, then set the height of left and right with the two round fleece tufts at the shoulders. Next, join the front along the fleece band. The white stitched borders at the sleeve ends are rare bright lines in a black picture and show where the sleeves go. 48 pieces is recommended.