Zouave Jacket

Overview: This jacket is typical of those worn by the Zouave units, possibly the 9th New York Hawkins Zouaves, in the American Civil War. The typical Zouave uniform included a short, open jacket, voluminous pantaloons, a fez, and a long sash tied around the waist. The original Zouaves were from North Africa and who fought for the French beginning in the 1830s. Later, white Europeans and Americans romanticized the Zouaves for their "exotic" attire and "ferocious" fighting style.

Construction: This American Civil War-era jacket was inspired by the uniforms worn by French-African Zouaves earlier in the 19th c. It is made of navy wool with applied red wool and wool braid accents. The front edges are curved and there is no closure. The two-piece sleeves have appliques of three chevrons, points down, of wool braid, which are an indicator of rank. The sleeve hem has been extended with an additional piece of navy twilled wool sewn the hem of the original sleeve. The seam is covered by the narrow red wool braid. On each wrist there are 12 round metal buttons. The shoulder seam is angled to the back. The sides have two vertical lines of narrow red braid on either side of a slit at the hem, also edged in two rows of narrow red braid. The jacket body has a seam under the side back which is hidden under the red braid (to correspond to the cut of the lining). The back is cut in one piece. The body lining is silk satin, possibly once black but now faded to olive green. Where the lining is deteriorating, the fibers look tan. The sleeve lining is cream cotton twill with coral and blue pinstripes. There is an inner breast pocket in the left front lining.

Provenance: Info on similar Zouave jackets in the American Civil War can be found at: https://historical.ha.com/itm/military-and-patriotic/civil-war/circa-1865-1866-distinctive-uniform-of-new-york-s-famed-hawkins-zouaves-consists-of-the-jacket-fez-vest-sash-trousers-a-total-6/a/6015-57512.s https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/civil-war-era-french-import-zouave-jacket-vest https://militaryimages.atavist.com/the-american-zouave-mania-and-mystique-autumn-2016 https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/zouave-uniform-firearms-and-archive-identified-to-charles-reisser-9th-new-york-hawkins-zouaves-161860 https://zouavedatabase.weebly.com/civil-war-zouave-unit-master-list.html

Damage: There are some moth holes throughout the garment which is missing 3 buttons on the right sleeve. The sleeves have an extension. The silk lining is extremely faded and deteriorating, especially along the left front neck. The lining armscye seams are pulled open in the underarm, and the left lining has a large rip, allowing the wool and canvas front to be seen.