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2018.37.208

Face covering. Cotton cloth, indigo-dyed a dark blue and polished to produce a shiny, iridescent surface. Formed of two layers of fabric, coming away on one side. [AF [EFCF project] 19/8/2019]

2018.37.208

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Collection type
Object
Description
Face covering. Cotton cloth, indigo-dyed a dark blue and polished to produce a shiny, iridescent surface. Formed of two layers of fabric, coming away on one side. [AF [EFCF project] 19/8/2019]
Geographical reference
Morocco
Africa > Northern Africa > Morocco
Cultural groups
Tuareg Berber
Person
Maker Unknown Maker
Field collector Jenny Balfour-Paul
PRM source Jenny Balfour-Paul
Date / Period
Date made: Before 1990
Date collected
Purchased April 1990
Acquisition information
Donated: 03/03/2016
Materials and processes
Material Cotton Seed Fibre Textile Plant, Material Pigment, Process Woven, Process Dyed, Process Polished
Dimensions
Width: max 400 mm, Length: max 2040 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 2018.37.208 Other numbers: M4
Research and responses

The Jenny Balfour-Paul collection [2018.37] was extensively researched and studied as part of the Multaka Oxford Project. The Multaka Oxford project is an inclusive volunteering programme using the collections as a springboard for intercultural dialogue about cultural heritage delivered jointly by the Pitt Rivers Museum and the History of Science Museum, University of Oxford. Any input from Multaka volunteers have been included as project notes on the database records for specific objects. [FB 26/1/2021]

[Multaka-Oxford Project notes] - The surface of this cloth is very similar to the surface of women's face masks produced in the Gulf region [see 2018.37.31 and .32]. Multaka volunteers have discussed the use of these masks as a protection from the heat of the sun and desert sands. During Multaka tours, the question was often asked that if the masks were meant to be protective then did men wear something similar. These face veils, worn by men or women, show the use of the same cloth for protection against a very similar desert climate. [AF [EFCF project] 19/8/2019]

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]

Search terms: Textile