Different from the chapan or khalat, which was worn by both women and men, the munisak was exclusively a woman's robe. Usually made of baghmal or velvet--the most luxurious of nineteenth-century ikats--the munisak was worn by Muslim and Jewish women during important rites of passage. This robe, part of a brideís dowry, has very accentuated feminine lines, and was cut wide at the collarless neck to expose the dress beneath. Material was either gathered in folds under the arms, or gores were added to give fullness. The munisak was as important at a woman's funeral as it had been at her wedding. One or two munisak robes from a Muslim woman's dowry were placed on her bier before burial, while in Jewish communities this kind of coat was worn indoors by relatives of the deceased during the seven days of mourning.
			Woman's Munisak Robe, Silk velvet Third quarter of the 19th century The Guido Goldman Collection Photo by Don Tuttle, ( The American Foundation for Textile, Inc.)