Jillayeh

NameShort sleeve coat-dress

Artist Artist unrecorded

DateLate 19th century

Place madeRamallah, Historic Palestine, Middle East or West Asia, Asia

MediumIndigo dyed linen, silk embroidery

DimensionsLength: 125 cm. Width: 75 cm.

Credit LineGift of Florence Dibell Bartlett

Object numberA.1955.1.280 SW

Collections

DescriptionRamallah style - Short sleeve coat-dress of dark indigo blue linen and red/orange silk embroidery. Has V-neck opening, then a slit from chest panel to end hem, but is not an open coat with buttons (i.e. attached between v-neck and slit).

Old #1716 Jillāyeh (late nineteenth century) (Plate 11) This Ramallah jillāyeh is of handwoven, indigo blue linen, standard for this garment. The qabbeh is almost identical with that on a thob from the same period (no. 3369). The narrow, vertical bands of embroidery on the front and back skirt depict a line of stylized trees in the so-called shajara șadaqeh (“tree of truth”) pattern. There is surprisingly little embroidery on the sleeves. Some zigzag and straight stitches in red and white outline the edges. The diyāl consists of the standard nakhleh ‘āli (“tall palms”) motif. It is divided by three vertical columns embroidered with the qamr rām allāh (“moon of Ramallah”) motif, most of which is worn away. The diyāl is topped by a row of rish (“feathers”). As far as jillāyehs go, this is an extremely modest one. Length: 125 cm. Width: 75 cm. (Palestinian Costume and Jewelry, Yedida Kalfon Stillman, 1979 ISBN: 0-82630490-7)