The Tuvan national clothing reflects the social and historical changes in the Tuvan community.

Before the Manchurian expansion, the traditional Tuvan costume, the robe (ton), did not have a stand-up collar, and the large wrap of the left side of the robe on the right side formed a small V-shaped angle.

For Tuvan feudal lords, the redesigned clothes became the state uniform of the governors of the established power. Therefore, representatives of the Tuvan elite, in particular noyons-rulers of Tuva’s administrative appanages, wore a prestigious robe with a Manchu cut of the left flank and a stepped neckline “oolet”. The clothing and accessories of officials during the period of Qing China’s rule in Tuva (the second half of the 18th century — the early 20th century) were strictly regulated by the “Statute of the Chinese Chamber of External Affairs”.

Officials and princes of various ranks wore a kandaazyn sleeveless jacket of silk or cotton velvet over their tunics in summer, and a khurme short fur coat with broad sleeves over the robe in winter.

The book “Traditional Tuvan Costume” describes the following set of Tuvan outerwear:

The exhibition shows a robe with a loose, open cut and with a high stand-up collar. There are no documents about how this robe became part of the collection. Items of official clothing came into the museum during the confiscation of personal belongings from feudal lords in the late 1920s. Perhaps the robe was worn by the ambyn noyon of Tuva (most likely, Kombu-Dorzhu), because he, as a hereditary prince and official, was supposed to have a patch on his clothes in the form of a dragon.