Scenes from Tunisian life. Jasmine merchant

TN 739A

TN 703

TN 680

Arts

The figure of the jasmine seller, often represented alongside a city woman dressed in the traditional Sefsari, embodies the very essence of Tunisian social life. This centuries-old trade is based on the sale of “machoûm”, a small bouquet of jasmine buds or orange blossoms carefully assembled by hand. This emblematic character of the Medinas and resorts is not only a flower seller, but a guardian of a Mediterranean art of living where perfume becomes the privileged social link between residents, symbolizing the courtesy and serenity of historic neighborhoods.

Jasmine, Tunisia's national flower, is the pillar of a sensory heritage which symbolizes purity, peace and collective memory. Making the machoûm is a meticulous skill where each button is fixed on a thin esparto stem, creating an ephemeral adornment worn behind the ear or held in the hand. This tradition reflects the country's deep attachment to its horticultural roots and an aesthetic of simplicity. By promoting this theme, the Republic underlines the richness of a culture which has preserved its rituals of beauty and kindness, making the fragrance of jasmine a universal ambassador of the Tunisian soul.

26 x 38 mm

Polychrome

Ali Bellagha

14

Photogravure

0,20 DT

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1 000 000 exemplaires