caftan-like garment of oriental origin which became a standard part of court costume in the last centuries of the Byzantine Empire
.
The first known reference to the kabbadion occurs in the
pseudo-Kodinos as the standard ceremonial dress for almost all court members. Kodinos describes it as an "Assyrian
" garment adopted by the Persians, clearly indicating a provenance from the Islamic world. It is therefore usually equated with the long, caftan-like and full-sleeved tunic worn by various Byzantine officials in depictions of the 13th–15th centuries. It fastened down the front and was worn with a belt. Its colour and decoration were determined by rank, as described by Kodinos; it was usually richly decorated with gold embroideries on the collar and on borders along the sleeves and hem, and could be adorned with pearls.
