DepartmentTextiles-Middle East
Jillayeh
NameWedding dress
Artist
Artist Not Recorded
CulturePalestinian
Dateca. 1930
Place madeKefar Zekharya (Zakariya) and Beit Jimal, near Hebron, West Bank, Palestine Territory, Middle East or West Asia, Asia
Mediumlinen, silk
Dimensionsoverall: 1 M 37 CM X 1 M 40.5 CM (SLEEVE TIP TO SLEEVE TIP)
Credit LineIFAF Collection
Object numberFA.1972.25.26
Collections
ProvenanceWe acquired a few Palestinian garments from our museum’s founder (Ms. Florence Dibell Bartlett) in 1955, whom she purchased from John and Grace Whiting’s collection. In 1971, a researcher from the British Museum, Ms. Shelagh Weir, suggested we purchase from a collector in Amman, Jordan, Ms. Widad Kawar, to fill stylistic gaps in the 1955 collection. Ms. Kawar sent accession numbers FA.1972.25.1-7 as the first batch of garments in 1972. Later, Dr. Yedida Stillman was funded by our International Folk Art Foundation in 1972 to travel to meet with Ms. Kawar in person to purchase additional garments and jewelry. This second batch of accessioned items are FA.1972.25.8-62. Mr. Atanas Kolarovski is mentioned as “source” in a few of the records, indicating who Ms. Kawar acquired from. (RMC 2023).
DescriptionWoman's dress. Ground of indigo with multicolor feather design in cross-stitch embroidery on sides and lower back. Center front panel, machine stitch star design over appliqued red silk.FA. 72.25-26 Jillāyeh (ca. 1930) This wedding dress is in the style of the villages of Zakariya and Beit Jimal, each of which was located about twenty-three kilometers northwest of Hebron. The multi- colored silk embroidery on this dress is mostly cross stitch. The lower half of the qabbeh is composed of the qelāyed (“necklace”) motif. There is an ‘ayn el-baqara (“cow's eye”) in the center of the qelāyed. The upper half of the qabbeh consists of vertical rows of eight-pointed stars, the so-called qamr (“moon”) motif alternating with rows of diamonds formed by crisscrossing chevrons. The diyāl is composed of two rows of cypresses mirror-faced, a band of feathers, and a repeat of the cypresses. The side panels of the dress are completely covered with embroidery which extends at an angle onto the front and back. The embroidery here consists exclusively of alternating columns of irq el-tuffāḥ (“apple branch”), a motif consisting of mirror-faced isosceles triangles and the Hebron variant of the nakhleh (“palm”) motif. The heremsy silk appliqué on the center front of the skirt and on the sleeves is machine embroidered. The purple, orange, and green striped bands on either side of the sleeve panels are of the fabric known as abū ḥizz aḥmar. The yoke of the dress and the scalloped appliqué at the hem are of red and yellow striped atlas silk. This dress is collarless. The entire dress is of indigo linen, except for the sleeves which are of black linen. Length: 128 cm. Width: 89 cm. (Palestinian Costume and Jewelry, Yedida Kalfon Stillman, 1979 ISBN: 0-82630490-7)
