Man's sash, silk, Tunisia, probably Tunis, circa 1850. Bought from the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Silk shawl.

This was one of a group of seventeen textiles from Tunisia that were acquired by the V&A from the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in 1851. The selection included woollen cloaks (bernous), cotton saddle bags, blankets, men’s sashes and a woman’s veil (ajar, 830-1852). The selection reflected the diversity of weaving traditions within Tunisia, from cotton and wool woven in geometric patterns to silk weaving from urban coastal areas.

The items acquired from the Great Exhibition were selected by the purchasing committee "without reference to styles", but "for its merits in exemplifying some right principle of construction or ornament, or some features of workmanship to which it appeared desirable that the attention of our students and Manufacturers should be directed" (First Report of the Department of Practical Art, London 1853, p.31). The Tunisian silk textiles were singled out for special praise, as exhibiting "true principles" of design and the appropriate "fit" of the ornament to the form.

This textile - an example of a man's sash - has a paper label stitched to it printed with the name of the 'Dept. of Science & Art' which managed the South Kensington Museum in its earliest days.

The silk sashes and veil would have been prestigious and expensive garments. The men’s sashes would have been folded lengthways and then wound several times around the waist. The end would be tucked in tightly to secure it. The folds resulting from this process could be used like small pockets.

Silk weaving is an urban art form and it is likely that this sash was woven in Tunis itself, around 1850. It was done by professional men and apprentices in a workshop overseen by a mu’allim (master craftsman).

Tunisia at this date was nominally a province of the Ottoman Empire, but the Beys (rulers) of Tunisia exercised de facto political autonomy. Its independence was increasingly threatened by the French occupation of Algeria in 1830. Ahmed Bey (r.1837-55) supported participation in the Great Exhibition as a way of projecting an emerging sense of Tunisian nationalism. He personally oversaw the selection of goods sent to London, represented the range of Tunisian crafts. Around 200 items were "manufactures" (straw hats, Nabeul ceramics, textiles and items of clothing) but the display also included spices, foodstuffs, minerals and raw materials. The depictions of the Tunis stand, that were produced by Joseph Nash and published by Dickinson Brothers as a souvenir of the Great Exhibition, give the same impression as you might experience visiting the souq in a Tunisian city today.

768-1852