Name/Title
Bedouin weaving of Saudi Arabia and its neighboursEntry/Object ID
TT847.5.A68.H5 2010Description
"Portable and practical, as well as tough and colourful, Bedouin textiles played until recent times a vital and functional part in the life of the Arab nomads. Bedouin women were expected to master the art of making entire tents as well as a wide range of rugs, saddlebags and other equipment able to withstand the rigours of the desert. They took a fierce pride in their work and produced, on the simplest ground looms, textiles that were at once hard-wearing and of vibrant aesthetic appeal. The true craftspeople of the desert, Bedouin women wove to provide the very fabric of day-to-day living. In doing so they adorned their lifestyle with shape and colour, and contributed an essential element to the image of the desert tribes. Joy Hilden describes the weaving techniques of the Bedouin in the context of their transitional mode of life, as they adapt from their centuries-old nomadic existence to being both semi- and fully settled. She gathered her information on dyeing, spinning and weaving while living and travelling in Saudi Arabia between 1982 and 1994, extending her scope with trips to other parts of the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent Arab countries. She describes visits to Bedouin families, desert markets and urban centres where Bedouin gathered. Her work comes at a time when many tribal peoples are losing their cultural traditions and, with them, their crafts and the material of everyday life in the desert. This is the most exhaustive study to date of the weaving methods practised by the Bedouin of Saudi Arabia. Profusely illustrated, and giving thorough instruction in techniques, Bedouin Weaving is an essential companion for collectors and connoisseurs of flat-weave textiles, the category into which Bedouin weavings fall. It is aimed both at general readers and at weavers, craftspeople in general, students, ethnographers, and museum and textile authorities." -- BOOK JACKETAcquisition
Source (if not Accessioned)
Nancy MicklewrightNotes
Gift of Nancy Micklewright, July 2025.Lexicon
Search Terms
bedouins--arabian peninsula--social life and customs, hand weaving--arabian peninsula, textile fabrics--arabian peninsula, weaving--arabian peninsulaBook Details
Author
Joy Totah HildenEditor
William FaceyPublisher
Al-TaruthDate Published
2010ISBN
9780955889400, 0955889405LCCN
2010459394Notes
Length: 270General Notes
Note Type
ContentsNote
1. Textiles in Saudi Arabia -- Ancient origins -- Bedouin weaving -- 2. The Bedouin and Their Lifestyle -- The tent and its woven furnishings -- The dividing curtain, qati' or sahah -- Rugs and cushions -- The riding litter and its woven ornaments -- The markab -- Camel trappings -- Wasm: tribal marks and their use in weavings -- 3. The Weavers -- Their work and role in society -- Portraits of some weavers and their communities -- The Eastern Province -- North central Arabia -- Najd (central Arabia) -- The northern Hijaz -- 'Asir: the male weavers of Najran -- 4. The Techniques of Spinning, Dyeing and Weaving -- Spinning techniques -- Dyes and dyeing -- Weaving techniques on the ground loom -- Warp-faced pattern weaves -- Instructions for weaving -- Weft twining -- Braids, finishes and tassels -- 5. Some Bedouin Textiles from Northern Arabia -- 6. Bedouin Weaving of Other Arab Countries -- Nomadic life and weaving techniques -- Regional contiguity -- Geographical convergence -- Survival of nomadic status -- Impact of political change and upheaval -- Degree of diversified textile production -- Epilogue -- Appendices -- 1. Pattern drafts -- 2. Weaving designs and finishes -- 3. More details on the tent divider -- 4. More details on the riding litter -- 5. Dye recipes and field notes on dyes.