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Source Description
<em>Msimsim</em> wall hangings were one of three standard marriage gifts (<em>ṣdāq</em> or <em>mahr</em>) from a groom to a bride in Tétouan, Morocco, as recorded by marriage contracts from 1794 to 1894. These gifts indicated the financial commitment of marriage: divorce occurred if they weren’t promptly received! This <em>msimsim</em> was made from silk harvested in Tétouan, or from raw Asian silk imported via Marseille. Its traditional design is a double-sided gridded brocade (raised woven pattern), navy on one side, crimson on the other. When this was woven, at least 25 professional silk workshops flourished in Tétouan, producing bridal gifts and other goods that outsold European imports.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
163075
label
Wall Hanging (msimsim)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
163075
contentType
object
title
Wall Hanging (msimsim)
description
<em>Msimsim</em> wall hangings were one of three standard marriage gifts (<em>ṣdāq</em> or <em>mahr</em>) from a groom to a bride in Tétouan, Morocco, as recorded by marriage contracts from 1794 to 1894. These gifts indicated the financial commitment of marriage: divorce occurred if they weren’t promptly received! This <em>msimsim</em> was made from silk harvested in Tétouan, or from raw Asian silk imported via Marseille. Its traditional design is a double-sided gridded brocade (raised woven pattern), navy on one side, crimson on the other. When this was woven, at least 25 professional silk workshops flourished in Tétouan, producing bridal gifts and other goods that outsold European imports.
date
1800s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79988531
genreSpecific
Textile
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 314.9 x 62.5 cm (124 x 24 5/8 in.)
cul
Africa, North Africa, Morocco, Tétouan, Moroccan weaver(s)
accession
2003.86
Source extras
tec
Silk, dye
tombstone
Wall Hanging (msimsim), 1800s. Africa, North Africa, Morocco, Tétouan, Moroccan weaver(s). Silk, dye; overall: 314.9 x 62.5 cm (124 x 24 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Textile Art Alliance, 2003.86
collection
T - Islamic
relatedWorks
id
111411
description
Wall Hanging (msimsim), 1600s–1800s. Africa, North Africa, Morocco, Moroccan weaver. Silk; average: 107.2 x 71.5 cm (42 3/16 x 28 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of H. A. Elsberg, 1929.908
didYouKnow
Some scholars believe these checkerboard fabrics were traded, and eventually influenced patterns in some West African strip woven textiles.
creditline
Gift of The Textile Art Alliance
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:28:31.309000
sourceId
163075
dept
Textiles
coll
T - Islamic
med
Silk, dye
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
388bb7bef663cee5