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The Tradition of Arab Embroidery - Norman A. Rubin Market day throughout countries in the Middle East is a very colourful scene; Arab women from the nearby villages in their decorative embroidered robes and caps roam about the stalls bargaining with the various merchants. Their richly embroidered dresses are a flash of colour and patterns; each dress is woven with the intricate and loving skill of the dressmaker. The flowing wide costumes are well adapted to the climate of the area, being loose-fitting and having several layers which provide a sort of insulation against the heat and the cold. Women favour this cumbersome dress for reasons of modesty and decorum, 'because it hid the body well'. Yet the conspicious use of fabric quantity was also a sign of social status. An Arab girl is expected to take with her at her marriage a trousseau of embroidered clothes as well as other embroidered articles, as marriage is a very important social and personal event for the Arab people. Matrimony, in Arab culture, symbolizes a spritual union attaining perfection and completion; "Peace and benediction upon a charming bride whose coming has honored and perfumed my house." (The Tale of Unending Treasure). In a symbolic sense, the intricately patterned embroideries heaped upon the bridal couple symbolize their flowering, as well as wishes for their fertility. (Predominant red embroidery is the colour for married women. Blue embroidery is in use in Arab villages to denote an unmarried girl and women past childbearing age.) Marital status is indicated by caps (uga) of red striped satin decorated with coins, and in some instances, by bands of coins (burga) worn over the face. The head is usually covered by a blue or black cotton veil, and sometimes decorated with red applique edging or embroidery for ceremonial wear. For outings women wear a black cotton jacket embroidered in red, though jackets were once made from blue woolen broadcloth decorated with red silk chord. The head is covered with a black crepe veil and bound with a silk headband with metalic brocade and gold coins. A similar cloak of finer wool or cotton without stripes, and with a metal thread embroidery at the neck, is worn for special occasions. Hence, an Arab girl will start to embroider at an early age. A girl learns from her mother and other relatives, and, after her wedding she will continue to embroider throughout her life, for her own needs and for the family. Clothing, to an Arab woman, denotes social and martital status, and a woman's clothing can indicate the tribe of locality from which she comes. Bedouin women wear a distinctive woolen girdle (shwahiyeh) which indicate tribal origins. The girdle has two parts, a broad grey and black striped under-girdle of plaited wool which was tied over the dress and around the waist and the excess material pulled up and folded over a sash embroidered with colored chevron patterns and fringed with tasseled ends. Colourful woolen bands were hung from this girdle for festive occasion "While your sweet garments are but added blisses." The dresses an Arab woman embroiders are made from dark cotton fabrics with decorative patterns embroidered onto the area of the chest, around the neck, the sleeves and the lower hemline in the back. The embroidery pattern on the chest area is of great importance: It is designed for more than simple aesthetic purposes as its main purpose is intended to provide protection against evil spirits. "The powers of demons and darkness; all devouring beasts and some horned beasts are evil unto man." (Ahriman - The Symbols of Evil). The fear of the evil spirits is so great that many Arab women have sewn onto their garments tiny silver rattlers (N'namnam) said to be a good protection as their sound wards them off. The most magnificent style of embroidery is produced in Bethlehem and is known as MALAKHE (royal). On dresses and gowns from Bethlehem the pattern is embroidered onto a separate piece of material made of various coloured silks which are later sewn onto the dress. For which the embroideries are facinating in themselves, it is the overall effect of the silk on the cotton dresses which excites the eye; the deep blues and blacks setting off the marvelous orange and other colours employed in the inserts and appliques. The lower part of Arab embroidered dresses in the back, the DYAL, is embroidered with different patterns according to the type of dress. When the woman walks her heels wave the DYAL and so draws attention, a sort of flirtation. The original pattern of the DYAL was a horizontal line woven into the dress in gold and silk threads. Other DYALS are characterized by large areas covered with dense embroidery; ex. the GALILEE pattern with bands of lace-like embroidery above the hem. A third pattern, characteristic of the RAMALLAH type composes two verticle and one horizontal stripes. The basic motif form, in Moslem tradition, is the triangle charms, HAJAB, which is believed to have protective qualities. There is the STAR motif symbolizing the heavenly bodies; this octagon star is referred to as the 'The Star of Bethlehem'. The pine tree as well as other flowers and tree motifs symbolize eternal life. Another notable element is a motif that looks like a clock which, usually appears on the sleeves. Clock like marking (Moslem tradition of infinite time) expands into decorative divisions. Designs used in cross stich embroidery are traditional and handed down from generations. Designs are never departed from, thus providing an easy means of identifying the precise village of any person wearing such embroidery. Yet at the same time no two pieces are alike and there is room for considerable expression. In Arab tradition an artisan leaves a tiny part of his or her work unfinished or with imperfections so as to reminds one of the infallibility of man. The jewellery worn by an Arab girl, to compliment her dress, is not only decorative but also symbolic. Some motiffs in jewellery can symbolize good things like fertility and wellbeing, while others are believed to protect from evil forces like disease, miscarriage and often, very concretely, from snake and scorpion bites. This magic function turns most jewels into amulets. By its very beauty is also supposed to distract the 'Evil Eye' from harming the wearer. Jewellery has two other functions to the wearer - beautifying the wearer or making her more sexually attractive, and reflecting the wearer's economic status by the opulence of the jewellery, the preciousness of the material and of the quality of workmanship. "We have given you clothes to cover your nakedness, and garments pleasing to the eye....." (Koran - Sura 7:24) Reference: 1) 'The Bedouin', Shelagh Weir - British Museum Publications 86p The dresses worn by Bedouin women have narrow sleeves, and bands of lace-like running-stich embroidery above the hem, and early this century were worn with tablet-woven girdles. 2) 'Early Islamic Jewellery', Treasures of of Islam, edited by Toby Falk Ali said, " Gold and silk are premitted to women of my congregation and forbidden to men." Edicts of the Koran (Sura 18;30 - 35:30) as gold and silk was the rewards of the true believer in Paradise.
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Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols, J.C. Cooper, Thames and Hudson, London, England. Reference library - Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
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