Name/Title
Contemporary Thobe (1994)Entry/Object ID
2024.10.12a-bTags
2024Description
Produced for Ms. Jwayyed, an exiled Palestinian in Brooklyn, New York, this thobe was made by Palestinian women using traditional methods in Al Bireh, Palestine during the Oslo Accords. During this era, the thobe reflected a creative and innovative period where Palestinians began incorporating modern materials while paying homage to traditional dress styles. Palestinian embroidery, or tatreez (تطريز), is a centuries-old artistic tradition, passed between mother and daughter. Prior to 1948, Palestinian dress was regionally distinct, showcasing the specific town, village or tribe of the wearer. By the 1990's, traditional thobe styles were experiencing a revival, with Palestinians in diaspora commissioning dresses for special occasions in styles that reflected their family’s home village. This thobe imitates the traditional Bethlehem thobe al-malak, a style indicative of the region prior to the mid twentieth century. The maker followed contemporary fashions using a wide selection of colorful metallic threads on machine-woven synthetic velvet, while still using traditional dress cuts and patterns.
a) thobe
b) zunnar (belt)Made/Created
Date made
1994Place
* Untyped Place
Al Bireh, Palestine
