The Zay Initiative:Metal Thread Embroidery in the Arab World

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Metal Thread Embroidery in the Arab World – History and Context

The diversity of the Arab world- stretching from Mauritania to Syria to Oman and Somalia – means Metal Thread Embroidery is described in a variety of names and terminology, depending on the region and style. As these distinct regions function within the cultural meta-system of the 'Arab World', techniques, materials and designs blend and influence each other. In this first article in our series, we look at all the various influences and styles, as well as the history and context in which metal thread embroidery is used in and around the Arab world.

tur_bi_tallī also known as ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the North African Arab region specifically in Egypt.

or asīūṭī,

Metal Threads (Zari Zarī: (Persian two-syllables: zar: gold & dozi: embellishment), complex embroidery technique that uses metal alloy on silk, satin, or velvet, and may include pearls, beads, and precious stones. Colloquially in the Arab gulf region, the term (zarī) is loosely applied to any gilded thread, embellishment or gilded brocade fabric. Originated in ancient Persia it has been used extensively in Indian and Middle Eastern textiles for centuries. )

Historically, metal thread embellishment has been used extensively throughout the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Europe. Even in the Bible, we find references to its use with Egyptian linen. In the museum of Monbijou Palace in Berlin, 3,000‑year‑old specimens of netting made with flax are still preserved. Forms of metal embellishments appeared in Egypt, Ottoman Turkey, India, and Central Asia, but in each country, it adopted a different form and is known by a different name. People from all walks of life, from royalty to laymen were and continue to be fascinated by the use of gold and silver threads.

Tulle bi ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the North African Arab region specifically in Egypt.

; tariq; badla; ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment.

are produced by hand

Precious Metals

Literature reveals that gold and silver metallic coils are drawn through a series of dies to obtain a fine thread. The technique traditionally started with slabs of metal melted, beaten into thin plates, and divided into small slips which were rounded by a hammer before it was filed to form wire. Another technique was slabs of metal melted and pierced through steel sheets and hammered flat to the necessary fineness to create 2-3 mm thick metallic straw. Precious metals such as silver or gold were first used but in time this was substituted by metal alloys plated in silver or gold, and today we have mass produced tinsel versions in a multitude of lustrous colours. The wire format is used in embroideries such as , , and (those are in flat straw form) where the wires can be stitched into a variety of patterns and motifs. Due to the industrial revolution and the invention of the electroplating process, imitation techniques were developed to avoid the cost of precious metals. As copper is the most malleable and ductile metal after gold and silver, silver electroplated copper wire replaced pure silver. Various modern colours and chemicals are used to impart multiple shades of golden hue to these threads to imitate pure gold.

Examples of modern day or imitation metal threads

Gilded Threads

Due to the growing demand for precious metals and copper used in various modern industries, this option became expensive as well. Thus, a cheap and durable alternative was invented. Metallic zari Zarī: (Persian two-syllables: zar: gold & dozi: embellishment), complex embroidery technique that uses metal alloy on silk, satin, or velvet, and may include pearls, beads, and precious stones. Colloquially in the Arab gulf region, the term (zarī) is loosely applied to any gilded thread, embellishment or gilded brocade fabric. Originated in ancient Persia it has been used extensively in Indian and Middle Eastern textiles for centuries. (gilded thread) came into vogue replacing traditional metals like gold, silver, and copper. This modern , or imitation metal thread, is lightweight and more durable than earlier editions and it is resistant to tarnishing and knotting. is made when copper wires are drawn from copper alloys and electroplated with silver before it is wound around a, usually cotton, base yarn and reeled. This type of gilded thread is less expensive than pure metal thread , as silver electroplated copper is more economical.

produced in India

The Indian Sub-continent

Metal thread embroidery has been around in the Indian subcontinent since the Rig Veda era (1500 BCE) and went on to prosper during the Mughal period (1526 - 1857). This kind of art goes back in history and is associated with famous Vedic texts, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Initially, real silver and gold were used to make these threads. Craftsmen have different ways of polishing the thread to make it appear brighter and include a huge spectrum of colours including silver metallic, gold metallic, and metallic. Surat, in Gujarat, is the biggest metallic thread manufacturer in India with several distributors selling these threads on a large-scale basis across the country and continues to be the major exporter of raw materials, especially to the Arab Gulf region

The many different names and styles of metal thread embroidery

Terminology

Metal thread embroidery techniques can be divided into three categories

Surface embroidery, where the metal threads are applied on top of the fabric, such as couching
Couching: (Latin: collocare – Place together), in needlework and embroidery couching is a technique in which yarn or other materials are laid across the surface of the ground fabric and fastened in place with small stitches of the same or a different yarn

Woven embroidery, where the metal thread is threaded through the fabric and becomes part of the structure of the fabric, known as brocade Brocade: (Italian: brocco – twisted thread), is a richly decorative fabric woven with an intricate raised pattern. Its origins can be traced back to ancient China, where it was made for the imperial court. It later spread to Europe during the Renaissance and became popular in couture and decorative arts.

Applied embroidery, where the metal thread is used to create a notion or embellishment that is applied to a garment as decoration.

Metal threads and metal thread embroidery is named using different terms and terminology in different parts of the world. ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the North African Arab region specifically in Egypt.

; tariq; badla; ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment.

as we define it in our Digital Dictionary is a term believed to originate from Arabic: talā’ or talā: paint or to coat, or from Turkish: tel: wire. It generally refers to metal alloys coated with silver or gold, to create either flat straws or coil threads that are then applied on clothing in varying patterns. There is a huge spectrum of terms and variances that are used depending on location:

tur_bi_tallī/tulle_bi_talli
Tūlle_bi_tallī: (French: Tulle – a city in France where fine material for veil was first made; Turkish: tel – wire; Synonym: tariq; talli; badla; khus_dozi
Khus_dozi: (Persian: Khvosh – an Iranian province; dozi – needlework; Synonym: tariq; talli; tulle_bi_talli; badla), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in Iran and parts of the Arabian Peninsula possibly because Khvosh was one of the centres for the craft.
), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the North African Arab region specifically in Egypt.
, asīūṭī,

mnaqad/mnaghad Mnaghad: (Arabic: mnaqad: with coins, synonyms: mnaghadah Mnaghadah: (Arabic: mnaqad: with coins). Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. In the Arab Gulf region, the terms (mnaghadah), (mnaghad) (nighdah) and (tallī) are often used interchangeably, with the (qāf) pronounced (gha) colloquially., naghdah Naghdah: (Arabic: mnaqad: with coins, synonyms: mnaghadah Mnaghadah: (Arabic: mnaqad: with coins). Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. In the Arab Gulf region, the terms (mnaghadah), (mnaghad) (nighdah) and (tallī) are often used interchangeably, with the (qāf) pronounced (gha) colloquially., mnaghad, mnaghadah Mnaghadah: (Arabic: mnaqad: with coins). Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. In the Arab Gulf region, the terms (mnaghadah), (mnaghad) (nighdah) and (tallī) are often used interchangeably, with the (qāf) pronounced (gha) colloquially.). Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. The (qāf) is pronounced (gha) colloquially., mnaghadah Mnaghadah: (Arabic: mnaqad: with coins). Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. In the Arab Gulf region, the terms (mnaghadah), (mnaghad) (nighdah) and (tallī) are often used interchangeably, with the (qāf) pronounced (gha) colloquially.). Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. The (qāf) is pronounced (gha) colloquially., where the (qāf) is pronounced (gha) colloquially

Naqdah Naqdah: (Arabic: coins, synonyms: mnaghadah, naghdah, mnaghadah) Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. The (qāf) is pronounced (gha) colloquially.: (Arabic term for coins) Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. Therefore, the term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots.

), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the North African Arab region specifically in Egypt.

; tariq; badla; ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment.

as it is being produced in the UAE Persian terms

Zārdozī / khus_dozi
Khus_dozi: (Persian: Khvosh – an Iranian province; dozi – needlework; Synonym: tariq; talli; tulle_bi_talli; badla), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in Iran and parts of the Arabian Peninsula possibly because Khvosh was one of the centres for the craft.
(Persian: zar: gold, dozi: embellishment)referencing metallic thread embroidery.

The Turkish term Sarmah refers to raised metallic thread embellishment

Indian terms

Mukaish Mukaish (Indian, synonyms: asūṭī, tallī, tur_bi_tallī/tulle_bi_talli, mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish, badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khus_dozi: (Persian: Khvosh – an Iranian province; dozi – needlework; Synonym: tariq; talli; tulle_bi_talli; badla), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in Iran and parts of the Arabian Peninsula possibly because Khvosh was one of the centres for the craft.
). Indian embroidery technique where small rectangular strips of metal are squeezed shut around some threads of the fabric creating intricate shapes and designs., seen often accompanying Chikankari embroidery native to Lucknow.

Where the unadorned wire is referred to as Badla, the thread wounded around is called Kasav, from qasab

tiny spangles are called Sitara

and the specks or dots which are made from the wire are called Mukaish Mukaish (Indian, synonyms: asūṭī, tallī, tur_bi_tallī/tulle_bi_talli, mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish, badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khus_dozi: (Persian: Khvosh – an Iranian province; dozi – needlework; Synonym: tariq; talli; tulle_bi_talli; badla), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in Iran and parts of the Arabian Peninsula possibly because Khvosh was one of the centres for the craft.
). Indian embroidery technique where small rectangular strips of metal are squeezed shut around some threads of the fabric creating intricate shapes and designs. or Fardi

), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the North African Arab region specifically in Egypt.

; tariq; badla; ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment.

as it is applied on a garment from The Collection In the next article in this series, we will look at Surface Embroidery in more detail.

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Precious Metals

Gilded Threads

The Indian Sub-continent

Terminology

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