Object History
This item was purchased from Kerry Taylor Auctions, London, by Dr. Reem Tariq El Mutwalli in 2019 to be added to The Zay Initiative collection.
Kerry Taylor Auctions had purchased a collection from a gentleman named William Emmett who had in turn purchased it from a lady whose mother was a private secretary to two of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities – Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivienne Leigh. She acquired her collection from both Olivier and Leigh through purchases as well as donations/gifts.
This specific item was originally designed for and worn by Sir Lawrence Olivier in the 1966 film ‘Khartoum’. Olivier had portrayed the character of the famous 19th century Sudanese nationalist leader Muhammad Ahmed Al Mahdi alongside Charlton Heston as the reappointed British governor-general, General Charles George Gordon, responsible for evacuating Egyptian and foreign troops and officials from Sudan during the siege of Khartoum in 1884- 1885.
This piece was created by the film’s costume designer Bill Carman and manufactured by L&H Nathan of London, who made bespoke outfits for many British theatre and movie productions.
Object Features
This is an ivory cotton traditional Sudanese tunic-style men’s robe (jubbah) with full sleeves and a zip fastener on the left shoulder.
This robe is constructed of a thick coarse cotton fabric akin to canvas which is machine stitched with hand-sewn (appliqued) patches of (twill) woven wool in a variety of earthy tones – black, beige, brown and mustard yellow – reminiscent of the colours of Sudan’s landscape.
Both the front and back of the robe are embellished in the same fashion. First, a Y-shaped black patch covers the small round neckline overlapping a beige square on the (yoke). This is followed by two more squares in shades of beige followed by three small rectangular patches of mustard yellow fabric. The side panels of the skirt have a large rectangular mustard yellow panel one on each side near the waist followed by two rhomboidal shapes framing a small circular patch in the centre in brown. A mustard yellow patch adorns the underarm and extends till the bodice, while a brown rhomboidal frame with a circle in the centre similar to the skirt embellishes each sleeve. The cuffs and the fall hemline are trimmed with the same black panel from the neckline but in a thin strip. It has a metallic zipper and a Velcro strap on the left shoulder for fastening.
The jubbah bears the manufacturer’s tag that reads ‘L&H Nathan, 143 Drury Lane’ along with the name of ‘Sir Laurence Olivier’ hand-written underneath it.
More details
The Mahdi army’s uniform included the jubbah, with variations in size and style based on the wearer’s region and rank. The patchwork design of the jubbah originated from the early followers of the Mahdi, known as the ‘darawish’, a group of impoverished religious farmers. This term eventually became the English term for all followers of Muhammad Ahmed.
The ‘darawish’ donned tattered cotton tunics, mended with woollen patches that served as a reminder of their humble beginnings. It was only after the fall of Khartoum in 1885 that wool began to be used less for its practicality and more for creating increasingly original and striking jubbah designs. Consequently, this replica likely represents the later iterations of this type of tunic.
Links
- “Alternative Museum of the Sudan.” Sulger, website-sulgerbuelgallery.artlogic.net/exhibitions/44-alternative-museum-of-the-sudan-a-solo-exhibition-of-amado-alfadni-curated-by/works/
- Karim. “Sudanese Traditional Clothing.” Home –, www.planetjawal.com/sudanese-traditional-clothing/
- “National Dress of Sudan. Men Prefer Loose-Fitting Robes and Women Use Wrap-around Cloths.” Nationalclothing.Org, nationalclothing.org/africa/35-sudan/49-national-dress-of-sudan-men-prefer-loose-fitting-robes-and-women-use-wrap-around-cloths.html
- “Siege of Khartoum.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Khartoum
Donate