The first thing we are going to do now is know the etymological origin of the word trousseau in question. In this sense, it must be stated that it derives from the Andalusian Arabic “as-sawar”, which, in turn, comes from the classical Arabic “suwar”, which is equivalent to “equipments”.
The term trousseau is used with reference to the set made up of furniture, clothing and utensils that are used in the same area or that share certain characteristics.
It is possible to speak, in this way, of the trousseau that belongs to an individual or that which, in the marriage bond, the woman is responsible for providing. The items that are intended for babies at the time they are born and the things that, in a home, are for common use, are also called trousseau.
For example: "We are happy because my mother decided to give us the trousseau for Nicolás" , "The photographer made the young Uruguayan model pose with a beautiful bridal trousseau" , "The police are investigating the theft of the jewels that were stolen from the private trousseau of the princess."
The notion of trousseau is often associated with certain social rites that are carried out at birth , marriage and death . When a child is born, it is common for the child to receive a trousseau with his crib, clothes , etc. In a wedding, in the past it was common for the wife to provide the couple with a trousseau, which included sheets, tablecloths and other elements that would be used in the shared home. In addition, the trousseau can include the clothing and accessories that the bride wears.
Nowadays, although as a general rule, this concept of trousseau related to marriage has disappeared, it is still found in some places and is even maintained by certain generations. Thus, there are mothers who continue to buy everything from clothing to kitchen utensils to bedding so that when their children get married they can have what they need at home.
On a historical level, in some museums we come across artistic works that were precisely part of the trousseau of some illustrious person. We have an example of this, for example, in the Archaeological Museum of Spain, located in Madrid, where you can admire a betrothal chest of Florentine origin and dating from the 15th century.
Regarding death, the funerary trousseau is made up of the objects that are placed next to the deceased in the tomb so that they accompany them on their passage to another plane or as an offering to the divinities.
The objects and their quantity that were included in the funerary trousseau determine, among other things, the social status of the deceased and, consequently, of his family.
Among the most important in history are the Egyptians, where you can even admire the existence of paintings on the walls and figures, called ushabti. These came to represent the servants that the deceased had had and that were included as a way of determining that in the "afterlife" they would also continue to serve him.