A Moroccan Jewish Bridal Costume, 19th century

The berberisca dress, also known as the Grand Costume (el-keswa el-kbira), is an elaborate bridal costume worn by a Moroccan Jewish woman. Traditionally, a father gifts his daughter a berberisca dress for her wedding.

The Grand Costume consists of a floor-length wraparound skirt (zeltita) of silk velvet embroidered with gold metallic threads, as well as a bolero (gombaz) of the same materials, under which was fitted a breastplate (ktef) and to which diaphanous, billowing sleeves (kmam) were attached. In addition, this costume includes a belt (hzam), a crown (swalef), and a pair of embroidered slippers (serbil). The Grand Costume was worn by brides during the henna ceremony, when patterns in henna were applied to the bride to bring good luck before the actual marriage, and it was later worn on festive occasions.

The dress is believed to have been brought to Morocco by Jews who left Spain. Usually made of a rich, dark velvet adorned with gold ribbon and embroidery and having separate sleeves, the Grand Costume is reminiscent of late medieval Spanish garb, and this type of wedding dress is limited to Moroccan cities settled by Jews from Spain after the persecutions of 1391 and the expulsion of 1492.

Physical Description

Skirt: silk velvet with gold metallic ribbon (38 in.; 965 mm); lining: printed floral cotton trimmed in green brocade; bolero: silk velvet with gilt metallic embroidery and passementerie (24 in.; 610 mm); sleeves: transparent silk chiffon with gold embroidery (40 in.; 1015 mm).

Literature

Esther Juhasz (ed.), The Jewish Wardrobe: From the Collection of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Milan: 5 Continents Editions; Jerusalem: The Israel Museum, 2012), 263-269.

Vivian Mann et al. (eds.), Morocco: Jews and Art in a Muslim Land (London: Merrell, 2000), 134-136, 174-175.