Jama thumbnail 1
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Jama

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
India (made)

This robe is said to have belonged to Tipu Sultan of Mysore (d.1799), although there is only anecdotal evidence for this. The late Mughal style of the robe and its decoration do tally with an 18th-century date.

Object details

Categories
Men's Clothes
Embroidery
Textiles
Object type
Jama
Materials and techniques
Cotton muslin embroidered with gold, faced with satin
Brief description
Man's robe (Jama) of white cotton muslin embroidered with gold, India, 18th century
Physical description
Man's robe (Jama) of white cotton muslin embroidered with gold. Woven in vertical stripes, alternately clear and opaque. The clear stripes are patterned at regular intervals with sprigs of gold foil, applied to the face of the material and stitched down on the reverse with white thread. The hem, collar, cuffs and other borders are faced on the inside with red satin.
Dimensions
  • Neck to hem length: 152.5cm
  • Neck to hem length: 60in
Marks and inscriptions
'Tippoo Sahib's Dressing gown brought from India by the late Col. Williams.' (Handwritten on a label sewn to the front)
Gallery label
(27/9/2013)
ROBE (JAMA)
Muslin, decorated with couched flattened gilded silver wire
Probably Deccan
c. 1780-95

IS.8-1968
This robe had a 19th-century, handwritten note attached to it stating that it was ‘Tippoo Sahib’s dressing gown brought from India by the late Col. Williams’. Whether or not it was ever worn by the ruler, he would have had similar clothes. British visitors to Tipu’s court in 1783 described his fine white muslin robe, as well as his red silk turban with a diamond-set jewel.
Object history
Bought in 1968 from Miss Trata Maria Drescha, The Studio, 27 St Peter's Square, London W6 on the basis that it was "from Tipu Sultan's wardrobe". No evidence for this provided on the file but a note in dept. files says "An old handwritten label sewn to the front reads 'Tippoo Sahib's Dressing gown brought from India by the Late Col. Williams'." Cost £75.00. Rps 68/282
Summary
This robe is said to have belonged to Tipu Sultan of Mysore (d.1799), although there is only anecdotal evidence for this. The late Mughal style of the robe and its decoration do tally with an 18th-century date.
Bibliographic references
  • The Indian Heritage. Court life and Arts under Mughal Rule London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982 Number: ISBN 0 906969 26 3 p. 96. cat. no. 255, Veronica Murphy
  • Ashmore, Sonia. "Muslin", London, V&A Publishing, 2012. p. 21, fig. 10
  • Stronge, Susan, Tipu's Tigers London: V&A Publishing, 2009 ISBN. 9781851775750 p. 16, pl. 6
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IS.8-1968

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Record createdJanuary 28, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O144142/jama-unknown/
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