Viking Rus Kaftan Birka made of Wool MEDIUM herringbone

The Viking Rus Kaftan found in Birka is a significant archaeological discovery that sheds light on Viking-era clothing. This kaftan was discovered in the Swedish town of Birka, an important trading center during the Viking Age.

The kaftan itself was a long, loose-fitting garment, typically made from wool, and it was worn by both men and women. Its design consisted of long sleeves and reached down to the ankles. The garment was open in the front, fastened with buttons or toggles, and often adorned with intricate embroidery or decorative trim.

What makes the Viking Rus Kaftan from Birka particularly noteworthy is its blend of Viking and Eastern influences, hinting at cultural exchanges between the Vikings and regions like the Byzantine Empire or the wider Eastern world. The kaftan's style suggests connections and trade routes that allowed for the exchange of not only goods but also ideas and fashion trends across distant lands.

The kaftan's design and the materials used in its construction reveal the craftsmanship and the resources available to the Viking-era people. It represents a fusion of different cultural elements, reflecting the diversity and interconnectedness of societies during that time.

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Fabric:

HAND WOVEN fabric from 100% RECYCLED wool in medium weight herringbone weave.
Medium thickness herringbone wool is ideal for various types of historical projects, but also as costumes in theaters, operas, operettas. Wool medium herringbone is also perfect for designing contemporary clothes or interior design elements.

This fabric was completely hand woven using an old horizontal loom with flying shuttle.
Very occasionally it may contain some small mistakes made by a weaver, like for example : the diamond pattern bounced too early or too late.
But if you do not like such things, please add a note to your order about it, so we will double check the fabric in this aspect.

Virgin wool comes directly from an animal for example sheep or alpaca, while recycled wool is made up from woolen fabric waste and unwanted or discarded garments, nevertheless still  perfectly good material.
Instead of throwing it away we reuse it.
The great thing of recycled wool is not only that is good for the environment, but also still carries all good features of wool :
    it keeps you warm, without being heavy,
    it’s soft, durable, naturally breathable, and easy to care for,
    it’s also renewable, biodegradable, and recyclable.

We have chosen to use recycled wool because it’s good for the environment and animal welfare. Producing virgin wool is a resource-intensive job.

Think about :
    the requirement of land for grazing the animals and usage of resources for maintenance of land and animals,
    the ammount of water that have to be used to clean the wool and the chemicals involved in the process.
By using recycled wool we give wool a second life using a production process at a fraction of the environmental cost than working with virgin wool.
We have a strict environmental control on the material, manufacturing and dyeing.

The finished fabric is also environmentally tested to make sure that it does not contain any harmful chemicals

WARNING! PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the nature of the production process, the quality may change slightly within the range.

Some fibers may be shorter, than the other.

It is also possible that the fabric sometimes does not consist of 100% wool because we cannot influence exactly what the recycled fibers contain.

WTV wool is also gently fulled in the production process. Due to the properties of recycled wool and the way it is finished, this wool may have a tendency to pill. If you care about wool that will not have such tendencies, choose WSV wool instead. What is important! WD and WH wools have a different finishing process, so such tendencies were not observed with them.