Art Institute of Chicago

Tunic (Jibbeh)

Mahdiyya State, Sudan

Date

1885/99

Medium

Layers of cotton, plain weave; pieced and quilted; appliquéd with wool and wool and cotton plain weaves and wool twill weaves; embroidered with cotton in chain, cross, and a derivative of herringbone stitches; applied plied yarn edging; lined with cotton plain weaves; pieced

Culture

Sudan

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Sudanese soldiers wore these tailored tunics to mark their role in the Mahdist state’s fight for independence from British and Egyptian rule in the late 19th century. Appliqué elements, such as the sewn shapes seen here, have long held religious significance in Sudan when they appear as talismanic pockets. They also reference the woolen patches haphazardly applied to homemade garments that Sufi followers wore to declare their contempt for worldly goods. The orderly design of this tunic symbolizes a unified army. The clean lines and uniform arrangement of patches symbolize the Mahdi’s efforts to centralize and organize military loyalties, while still honoring soldiers’ long-held Sufi beliefs.

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