9th International Festival of Popular Arts of Carthage. Painted glass from 1922

This 30 millimeter figurine illustrates the tradition of painted glass (or painting under glass), a Tunisian folk art of which the 1922 example presented here testifies to the creative vivacity of the early 20th century. This technique, consisting of painting on the reverse of a glass plate, is a pillar of naïve art and the interior decoration of homes in the Medina, often representing birds, flowers or epic protective scenes. By promoting this medium, Tunisia pays homage to a vibrant aesthetic which has preserved the collective imagination and popular beliefs through a colorful and symbolic graphic style, making the glass painter a visual storyteller of national memory.