The restoration of a robe thought to have belonged to Sultan Abdulhamid II has been completed at the Istanbul Beylerbeyi Sabancı Olgunlaşma Institute. This significant piece was discovered during the clearing of a house in Kadıköy Moda and was passed to an antique dealer by the heirs, who believed it to be an important artifact. The antique dealer consulted renowned fashion designer Cemil Ipekçi and academic experts, recognizing its potential significance. Subsequently, the piece was delivered to the institute by collector Şadiye Ulusoy for analysis.

Material analysis

The robe was taken to the Portable Cultural Heritage Restoration and Conservation Laboratory at the Istanbul Beylerbeyi Sabancı Olgunlaşma Institute, where associate professor Dr. Meral Özumay conducted material identification and thread analysis under the supervision of professor Dr. Hülya Tezcan. The six-month analysis revealed that the materials used in the robe, including the dye, were synthetic. The results were then presented to the owner, Ulusoy.

Dyeing process

Elif Sıla Mollaalioğlu, a conservator from the laboratory team, emphasized that documentation was the most critical phase of the restoration process. "We evaluated all stages through photography, visual analysis and subsequent microscopic analysis to bring the piece to the next phase. We successfully completed the project within six months," she explained.

Benan Bayram, the head of the Dyeing Laboratory, shared that their work involves natural dyeing within the broader restoration and conservation framework. "Once the pieces arrive, all necessary procedures are completed. After the analysis, any fabric losses or thinning are addressed. We generally use silk and dye with natural substances. Following our analyses, we conducted dyeing experiments to achieve the most suitable color tones with natural dyes. Our dyeing processes for silk fabric and threads have been completed, and our team has restored the piece using these materials."

Techniques

Kübra Kılınç, who works in the restoration department at the institute, mentioned that they continue to work with various silks. "The fabrics derived from natural dyes were initially attached using the puntolama technique with Ödemiş silk. Afterward, they were layered with Lyon silk and secured again using the puntolama technique. According to Tezcan, this piece was made specifically for Abdulhamid and was tailored abroad," she stated.