Circumcision Gown 

Cotton with eyelet ruffles, l. 43 x dia. 62 x sleeve length 8 in.
Worn by Harry M. Pleatman, b. Newport, KY, July 31, 1891
Cincinnati Skirball Museum, gift of Bert and Stanley Pleatman in memory of their father, Harry M. Pleatman, 15.50

Circumcision of a baby boy is the first life cycle celebration in the Jewish tradition. The brit milah, or covenant of circumcision, is the sign of the sacred covenant between God and Abraham established in the book of Genesis. God promises to make Abraham “the father of a multitude of nations” in exchange for a promise from Abraham that “every male among you shall be circumcised at the age of eight days.” In the late nineteenth century, when this circumcision gown was worn, it was customary to make or purchase a garment that reflected the significance of this life cycle event. Such a garment would be handed down through the generations of a family, giving it heirloom status over the years.