Object Details
- Label Text
- In 1881 Mohammed Ahmed Ibn el-Sayyid Abdullah (1844-1885) declared himself al-Mahdi, the "Proclaimed One," successor to the prophet Mohammad. A scholar and an ascetic, the Mahdi criticized the corruption of both local religious leaders and the intrusive Egyptian colonial officials who governed the Sudan. Among the followers of the Mahdi appliquéd tunics of cloth and wool were worn as uniforms to recall the worn garments of the poor and to unite the various regional and ethnic groups under the Mahdi's banner. This quilted tunic has a somewhat similar block composition, but is from a different clothing tradition, that of armor and the cavalry. It is a tradition found in North Africa, Niger and northern Nigeria as well as in the central and eastern Sudanic regions. The front and back slits in the tunic and the accompanying mail are designed for riding astride. Further, the red and blue threads are silk, which was imported into the Sudan from India. Although silk is used in weddings and birth ceremonies to deflect bad fortune, it is unusual in armor and may have provided spiritual protection.
- The cavalry of the Mahdiya were largely from the Baqqara peoples. Cattle nomads who owned horses, they particularly followed the Khalifa Abdullahi, who was the Mahdi's successor. The Khalifs's troops had more uniform-like attire that was made in centralized factories, rather than being assembled by the individual soldier.
- Description
- Quilted tunic of cotton batting covered with patchwork pieces of three floral print imported fabrics, edged in red binding. The neck is slit in the front and the collar rises to a peak in back. The skirt is slit in front. The front of the tunic has suffered damage probably from excessive exposure to light. In the blue and red textile which is woven with silk warps, much of the warp fiber is lost leaving the cotton wefts and the underlying batting exposed. In contrast, the reverse in is much better condition.
- Provenance
- Captured at the battle of Atbara in 1898 by Captain Philip Peters, 10th Lincolnshire Foot
- Exhibition History
- TxtStyles: Fashioning Identity, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 11-December 7, 2008
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Undetermined artist
- Date
- Late 19th century
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase
- Medium
- Cotton, silk, wool, cotton batting, dye
- Dimensions
- H x W: 118.2 x 129.5 cm (46 9/16 x 51 in.)
- Type
- Textile and Fiber Arts
