Caftan c. 20th century

This Caftan was made in Tetouan, and when you look at it, you get this sense of something really thought through, it looks like it has been crafted with intention. The material aspects, the colour palette, and that very light texture, almost like it’s been rubbed back, contribute to the conceptual understanding of art-making as a process. See how the maker has used these floral motifs, but not uniformly, and not realistically? It feels as though a balance has been struck between the functional and the decorative. The materiality seems very honest, you can see how the weave of the fabric creates this subtle pattern. In the bottom right, the floral motif is only partially visible, maybe a mistake, maybe deliberate? For me this creates an ambiguity, and raises more questions than answers. It has echoes of Matisse's cut-outs. Like Matisse, the maker has taken something traditional and pushed the boundaries of the form. Both artists embrace ambiguity, allowing for a multitude of interpretations rather than fixed or absolute meanings.