2018.37.43

Collection type

Object

Description

Tunic-style wedding dress in black ?synthetic fabric, with embroidery, cowrie shell and mother-of-pearl button decoration concentrated and radiating from the V-neck opening. [AFS [OPS move] 15/1/2019]

Long description

Tunic-style wedding dress in black ?synthetic fabric, with embroidery, cowrie shell and mother-of-pearl button decoration concentrated and radiating from the V-neck opening. The embroidery is in green, orange, black and red. Patterns feature a mix of geometric designs. There are mother-of-pearl buttons sewn along both sides of the V-neck and down to the hemline, the pattern is not symmetrical. The V-neck is fastened by three metal poppers. The central panel of embroidery beneath the V-neck is decorated with a cross formation of mother of pearl buttons, with a larger, central button, from which a small pouch of black cotton hangs, potentially containing ?cumin seeds. The embroidery and button decoration continues below, with a vertical, central line of larger mother of pearl buttons, and cowrie shells. The dress has very wide, open arms, joined to the body from the shoulders to the middle-side. The shoulders either side of the neckline have been stitched closed with. single stitch. [AFS [OPS move] 15/1/2019]

Geographical reference

Egypt

Africa > Northern Africa > Egypt

Siwa

Cultural groups

Berber

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Jenny Balfour-Paul

PRM source Jenny Balfour-Paul

Date / Period

Date made: Before 1989

Date collected

1989

Acquisition information

Donated: 03/03/2016

Materials and processes

Material Silk Yarn Animal, Material Mother of Pearl Shell, Material Cowrie Shell, Material Pigment, Material Synthetic Textile, Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Material Plant Seed, Process Woven, Process Dyed, Process Embroidered, Process Stitched

Dimensions

Width: max 1900 mm, Length: max 1214 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 2018.37.43 Other numbers: E6

Research and responses

[Multaka-Oxford Project notes] Volunteer Mohamed noted that the colours of the embroidery threads used reflect colours found in nature, in particular the different colours of dates that are found in Egypt, he states that the Siwa region is known as "the land of dates". [AF [EFCF project] 29/10/2018]

Siwa outfits, and especially wedding outfits were decorated with embroidered motifs. In wedding outfits these were predominantly for fertility, happiness, prosperity, and the deflection of the 'envious eye'. A mother would start embroidering her daughter's wedding outfit when she was still a child. A tunic similar to this one is pictured in 'Sand and Silver' by Margaret Mary Vale, Kelim Press, 2011, p135 and shown as part of a wedding outfit. The embroidered decoration is also described. p 137-140. The most common embroidered motifs are shown on p 133. [AF [EFCF project] 29/10/2018]

The decoration of wedding tunics are discussed in Sand and Silver by Margaret Mary Vale, Kelim Press, 2011 p137-9. Mother of pearl buttons are known as tutintfukt or 'eye of the sun' and are seen to catch the light and energy of the sun, a wedding tunic should have 60-120 buttons. The cowrie shells and embroidery pertain to fertility and protection. [AFS [OPS move] 17/7/2019]

Associated publications

Balfour-Paul, Jenny, Indigo in the Arab World, Routledge, 1997 [AF [EFCF project] 23/8/2019] Balfour-Paul, Jenny, Indigo: Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans by , British Museum Press, 1998 [AF [EFCF project] 23/8/2019] Vale, Margaret, Sand and Silver: Jewellery, Costume and Life in Siwa Oasis, Kelim Press, 2011 [AF [EFCF project] 23/8/2019]

Search terms: Textile, Marriage, Clothing Textile, Clothing, Amulet