DepartmentTextiles-Middle East
Thobe
NameWedding Dress
Artist
Artist Not Recorded
CulturePalestinian
DateEarly 20th century
Place madeJaffa area and Beyt Dajan, Historic Palestine, Middle East or West Asia, Asia
Mediumsilk moire, silk
Dimensionsoverall: 1 M 45 CM X 1 M 41.5 CM (SLEEVE TIP TO SLEEVE TIP)
Credit LineIFAF Collection
Object numberFA.1972.25.6 A
Collections
A. 72.25 6a Thõb (early twentieth century) This wedding dress is from the area southeast of Jaffa and Beit Dajan including such important towns as Ramleh (the medieval capital of Palestine), Ludd, and the village of Deir Tarif (the present Bet Arif). The dress is of purple silk moire (watered silk) and is machine stitched. The embroidery is multicolored silk thread and metallic couching and satin stitch. The qabbeh consists of four layers of silk appliqué, in addition to the edging, which is embroidered with floral couching similar to that on the rest of the dress. There are embroidered brown and orange silk insets on the sides of the skirt and on the long narrow sleeves. The red silk yoke with scalloped appliqué edging is similarly embroidered. All of the insets, the wrist panels, the yoke, and the hem are bordered with multicolored silk fish-bone stitching. A square brown velvet appliqué with embroidery is set on each shoulder between the yoke and sleeve. All motifs are from the lexicon of Bethlehem embroidery. Length: 140 cm. Width: 94.5 cm. (Palestinian Costume and Jewelry, Yedida Kalfon Stillman, 1979 ISBN: 0-82630490-7)
