woman's tunic (aba)

woman's tunic (aba) , 1800s–early 1900s

Where object was made: Gujarat, India

Material/technique: satin; silk; embroidering; mirror

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 1928.0874

Not on display

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Exhibition Label:
“Flowers, Dragons and Pine Trees: Asian Textiles in the Spencer Museum of Art,” Nov-2005, Mary Dusenbury
The tiny “mirrors” on this Islamic bride’s wedding tunic not only sparkled in the light, but also were intended to ward off evil spirits by confronting them with their own images.
Mirror glass was made by blowing glass into spheres, silvering the spheres on the inside, and then splintering them. Sometimes bits of mica were substituted for glass. Glassmaking was a specialized occupation, and mirror glass was sold in open-air markets.