Tunisian Brocade Panel

Hashiya, or a ribbon, from the town of Mahdia, Tunisia. The town received a large migration of Jewish and Muslim craftsmen from Spain who brought their weaving traditions with them among other skills. As a matter of fact, the town still boasts of having over one thousand looms.

Striped silk woven on a draw loom and brocaded with continuous warp, these wide silk ribbons were most often stitched together lengthwise to form larger panels. The design features common Muslim iconography such as eight point star, hand of Fatimah and ram’s horns.