Jibba, patched cotton tunic, Sudan, 1870-1890

Man's tunic, with rounded neck and 3/4 length sleeves. The sleeves are cut at right angles to the body, with a small triangle of blue velvet at the point where each sleeve joins the body, to allow for movement and shape. There is one small pocket on either side of the tunic.

The body of the tunic is pieced from un-dyed cotton, decorated on both sides with patches of woven fabric. The design is fully reversible - on both front and back patches run down the centre and sides of the body, and along the upper edge of the sleeves. The patches are of patterned woven cotton, striped cotton, dark blue wool and dark blue velvet. There is one patch of green and white silk damask. The neck is bordered in dark blue velvet and the breast (on both sides) is decorated with a velvet patch in the shape of a crescent moon and a small pocket.

Each patch is bordered in red, blue or green cotton. The hem and sleeves are bordered in dark blue wool and red cotton. Coloured stitching, in geometric patterns, further enhances the decoration on the edges of the patches, neck and sleeves.

Given by Kathleen Lady Alexander

This Jibba was given to the V&A in 1923 by Kathleen Lady Alexander. It was given as part of a group of robes, including examples of 19th-century Palestinian and Indian dress. It is not clear where or how Lady Alexander acquired the Jibba.

This type of cotton tunic decorated with wool patches are known as Jibbas and are associated with the Mahdi of Sudan. In 1881 Muhammad Ahmad, a Sufi leader proclaimed himself ‘prophesied redeemer of Islam’ or Mahdi. He led a holy war against the Ottoman-Egyptian ruling class of Sudan gaining control of Khartoum in 1885. He died shortly after but the Mahdist state survived until 1898.

Jibbas developed from a form of dress worn by the Mahdi’s early followers known as a muraqqa’a. Muraqqa’a were ragged patched garments worn by followers of Sufi religious orders to denote their rejection of worldly goods. However, as the Mahdi state became more established it was transformed into this more formal tunic with patches that are clearly decorative rather than functional. There were several different styles of jibba which are believed to reflect the regional affiliation of the wearer.

T.253-1923