Tourist Dress (Early 20th Century)

Clothing/Dress/Costume

-

Museum of the Palestinian People (MPP)

Name/Title

Tourist Dress (Early 20th Century)

Entry/Object ID

2022.023

Description

This thobe combines the chest panel of the Bethlehem thobe al-malak with the regional dress styles of Gaza, al-Ramle, and al-Khalil in the skirt and sleeves. The original Gaza dress was made in the early 20th century, and the added panels in the 1930s or 1940s. All elements came together for the sale of the dress by 1972 in Jerusalem. The sewing was done poorly, perhaps by a shopkeeper who wanted to gain maximum profit from tourists by including the treasured Bethlehem chest panel. This dress was featured in the following articles: Wafa Ghnaim and Flannery Surette. “The Thobe as Biblical Fantasy: The Legacy of Orientalism in Palestinian Dress Collections,” in Fashion’s Missing Masses: The Representation of Marginalized Populations in Collections and Exhibitions of Dress (December 1, 2025). Edited by Kenna Libes. Vernon Press. Wafa Ghnaim. "Tatreez Illuminations: GLISTEN in Palestinian Embroidery & Dress History," April 7, 2025. National Gallery of Singapore: Singapore. (Link: https://www.nationalgallery.sg/sg/en/learn-about-art/magazine/tatreez-illuminations.html)

Collection

Permanent Collection

Cataloged By

Wafa Ghnaim

Category

Ethnographic Collection

Acquisition

Notes

Donated by Marla Bush

Clothing/Dress/Costume Details

Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume

Dress

Clothing Sex

Female

Made/Created

Artist

Maker Once Known

Date made

1930 - 1940

Time Period

20th Century

Ethnography

Notes

Regarded as a vital component of Palestinian heritage.