The Palestinian Museum permanent collection

Saffeh (cap) from the Ramallah area made of cotton and fully embroidered with threads of red silk interspersed with other colours. With it comes a white iqal (cord accessory) covered in white cotton cloth to which a piece of velvet cloth was added to the back. From the rear velvet piece hangs 4 large pieces of Ottoman-era currency. At the front of the saffeh is a row of authentic Ottoman coins lined from the inside with a patterned cotton cloth. The saffeh used to be part of the bride’s dowry, to be worn on her wedding day and throughout the days following the ceremony.

al-Quta is a basket made of wheat straw dyed with natural colours, including red, and used to store cosmetics. It is cube-shaped with a pyramidal dome with a mirror placed on each of its three sides. Al-Quta is covered from its edges with a velvet cloth from which hangs tassels made of silk that is decorated with colourful beads. In the middle of its front section is a round mirror surrounded by red-dyed straw.

A tatreez (embroidery) pattern on Etamine fabric of multiple motifs, including the cypress tree, using green, pink, and brown silk threads.

Shambar (shawl) from the southern Hebron region which would be worn on the head made of crepe fabric known as dakka, to which is connected a piece embroidered with predominately red silk threads with tassels dangling on the end.

A pillowcase from the southern Hebron region, rectangular and made of beige and yellow cotton and linen. It is embroidered with dense tatreez (embroidery) comprised of plant and geometric shapes in the Fallahi (peasant) cross-stitch using orange, fuchsia, yellow, purple, and white silk threads.

A daily work dress (thobe) from the area of Bayt Nabala, Ramla District. It is made of beige linen and embroidered with primarily red silk threads. The chest panel of the thobe is embroidered with a cypress and feather stitch pattern, and in the middle are squares in the shape of rose stitch patterns. As for the shoulders and the back of the chest panel (the upper back neckline), pieces of the Ottoman fabric used in sewing a man’s qumbaz (coat) have been attached to it.

A tatreez (embroidery) pattern on Etamine fabric of a watch motif, made of green, yellow, violet, blue, red, and black silk threads.

Japanese shawl made of blue cotton and linen with a square shape, though worn in a triangle shape. It has roses embroidered using tahriri stitches (couching) using pink, white, yellow, and orange silk threads and is fringed on all ends.

A pillowcase from the southern Hebron region, rectangular and made of orange and red linen, cotton, and Syrian cloth. It is embroidered with geometric and plant shapes in the Fallahi (peasant) cross stitch using white, black, orange, fuchsia, and other coloured threads.

A wedding thobe (dress) from the Jerusalem and Bethlehem area. Also known as the Abu Qutba or Janna wa Nar (Heaven and Hell) thobe, it is made of cotton and linen in the colours of red, green, and orange and Ottoman cloth. The chest panel of the thobe was made of different fabrics before being attached and was embroidered with tahriri stitches (couching) with gilded and silk threads dominated by fuchsia, pink, blue, and green colours. Neither the front and back panels of the thobe nor the shoulders bear any tatreez (embroidery).