Gaza - Al Khalil Dress, Thobe (Early 20th Century)
Photograph by Wafa Ghnaim
Name/Title
Gaza - Al Khalil Dress, Thobe (Early 20th Century)Entry/Object ID
2022.020Tags
Bayt wa BaladDescription
This dress (thobe) is from the villages between al-Khalil towards Gaza. The purple fabric was produced in al-Majdal, a weaving center for Palestinians prior to its depopulation in 1948-1950. It is attached with Managel Ghazawei, a binding stitch unique to the Gaza region. The yellow panel in the front center is made with taffeta, an overspun silk, delicate to touch, with a triangular top of striped Syrian silk. The embroidery is typical of Gaza, however the cut of the dress with the silk panel insert, is typical of al-Khalil styles. The dress incorporates patchwork of around four dresses, with the earliest dress from the (very) early twentieth century. Three of the four dresses that comprise this dress are from Gaza, and one is from Bir Saba, possibly indicating the exile of the wearer. Altogether, the dress is a beautiful showcase of multi-generational inheritance and adaptation, telling the story of a people in exile and dispossession, yet deep connection between generations of women. There are thirty-four distinct patches and fragments sewn into this garment, categorized in eight groupings, that contribute to the final determination of the dress’ origins. Examining each change in fabric and thread helps to construct a broader framework for understanding the garment’s migratory trajectory and the hands who contributed to its making. Not all thirty-four components bear regionally significant characteristics within the Palestinian context of identity and land; accordingly, they have been organized into eight groupings to support a more precise analysis that considers village identification, dating, as well as interpretation.Cataloged By
Wafa GhnaimCategory
Ethnographic Collection