A young boy's white satin cape with feather and gold tinsel trim, and floral motifs embroidered with gold thread. Silk sash attached with white and gold trim and gold embroidery. Worn during the circumcision ceremony (sunnet). Sünnet (circumcision ceremony) is a traditional and religious coming-of-age ritual for young boys widely practised in Turkey, Central Asia, and parts of the Balkans. It marks a boy's symbolic passage toward manhood and combines Islamic tradition with festive community celebrations. Boys are typically circumcised between the ages of four and nine, before they reach puberty or full adolescence. Families could choose a kirve (a trusted godfather-like figure or close family friend) to support the child and hold him during the medical procedure. Boys were dressed like Sultans, wearing a ribbon with the word Maşalla and even carrying a sceptre.
cst_00288 > Circumcision (Sunnet) costume, Satin, 74 x 54 cm, 20th century
You can see this exhibit up close, along with many others, in the 1st-floor exhibition room of CVAR.
