DepartmentTextiles-Middle East
Jillayeh
NameShort sleeve coat-dress
Artist
Artist Not Recorded
Dateca. 1850
Place madeRamallah, West Bank, Palestine Territory, Middle East or West Asia, Asia
Mediumlinen, silk
Dimensions53 15/16 x 29 1/8 in. (137 x 74 cm)
Credit LineGift of Florence Dibell Bartlett
Object numberA.1955.86.937
Collections
Old #3376 Jillāyeh (ca. 1850) This is a much more ornate garment than no. 1716. The whole lower skirt is covered with embroidery. Block after block is filled with the nakhleh ‘āli motif, completely covering the surface. These are slightly different from the usual palms which can be seen on the sleeves of this dress and on the diyāls of most others. The blocks of palms are divided by vertical bands of the ‘ayn el-baqara (“cow's eye”) motif. The cow's eyes nearest the front opening are framed between two vertical rows of fish-bone stitching (sabaleh). On each side of the opening at the waist, there is a cross made up vertically by the mushūț or comb pattern, and horizontally by double triangles or șijāb (lit., amulet) pattern. Next to the cross, there are two mikḥalehs (“kohl pots”) which meet at their base points. The qabbeh of this jillāyeh has a dāyer (“border”) of the qamr rām allāh pattern, which is repeated on the inner frame. The field of the qabbeh consists solely of diamonds (a pattern called el-ferrāneh, or “the baker's wife”). Except for the qabbeh, this jillāyeh is quite similar to one in the British Museum (see Weir, Palestinian Embroidery, Pl. XI). The striking embroidery of this jillāyeh is mostly red silk with some orange, purple, white, and green. Length: 137 cm. Width: 74 cm. (Palestinian Costume and Jewelry, Yedida Kalfon Stillman, 1979 ISBN: 0-82630490-7)
