Name/Title
Embroidered Pillow (early 20th Century)Entry/Object ID
2022.118Description
Embroidery, or "tatreez", was typically used to ornament dresses and garments -- a highly prized object in a Palestinian woman's life once completed. When a dress is no longer wearable, it is culturally frowned upon to discard the embroidery. Instead, Palestinian women reused and recycled the embroidery onto pillows, tablecloths and various household items.
This pillow was made from an embroidered skirt panel that appears to have been originally produced in the early 20th century for an Al-Khalil (Hebron) dress. Perhaps, it is connected to the same dress as featured in object 2022.117. What is certain, however, is that It become a pillow by 1972, when it was purchased by an American tourist in Jerusalem.Made/Created
Date made
1972Time Period
20th Century
