1850~, Tunisia

1850~, Tunisia

Identifier
830-1852
Collection
Material
Technique
Depiction
Dimension
289.56 cm (length)
60.96 cm (width)
Production time
Production place
Type of object

Description

Woven silk veil, known as ajar, Tunisia, ca. 1850 Woven silk veil. Black silk ground with broad coloured and gold borders. This women’s veil is known as an ajar. During the nineteenth century wealthy woman from urban areas in Tunisia used them to cover their face and head while they were out in public. In the centre is a black rectangle that has been woven so finely it is transparent, this would hide the woman’s face while at the same time allowing her to see out. Around the black panel are elaborately decorated woven borders. The motifs show both Turkish and Andalusian influences and an Arabic inscription has been incorporated into the pattern. This ajar was one of seventeen textiles purchased by the V&A from the Tunis stand at the Great Exhibition of 1851, and is therefore one of the first textiles from Africa to have been acquired by the V&A.