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Embellished cotton scarf – Egypt

Local Name	Tarhah; Talli tarhah; Tulle_bi_talli tarhah
Object Category	Accessory
Gender	Female
Date of object	C. 1920
Place Of orgin	Egypt
Region	Asyut
Object Range	Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, India, Iran et al.
Dimensions	Length: 217 cm Width: 60 cm
Materials	Cotton Metal
Technique	Hand Stitched Hand Embroidered
Color
Motif	Geometric
Provenance	Gifted, Khawla Khalid-Diab, Boston 2017
Location	The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative
Status	In storage
ZI number	ZI2017.500552 EGYPT

Object History

This item was gifted to Dr. Reem Tariq

Ṭariq: (Arabic; Synonym: tulle_bi_talli; talli; badla; khus_dozi ), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment. The term is commonly used in the Levant Arab region specifically in Lebanon.

El Mutwalli by Khawla Khalid-Diab, a family friend from Iraq, in 2017, to be added to The Initiative collections later.

Born in Baghdad in 1939, Khawla was the oldest daughter of a senior judge and his socialite wife. She began her career as a pharmacist after coming of age during Iraq’s cultural and political heyday – the 1950s and 60s. She emigrated to the United States of America in 1980 and settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where she continued pursuing her career in pharmaceuticals. Today, she and her husband are parents to three children and seven grandchildren. Khawla, with her passion for literature, cuisine, and fine arts, has remained an active member of the Arab community in the Boston area.

Object Features

This is a narrow rectangular cotton tulle panel used as a head covering (tarhah Ṭarḥah: (Arabic: ṭailasān: shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. ), used in some parts of the Arab region, a length of fabric used as a shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. , head cover or veil.) embellished with metal thread (talli

Tallī: (Turkish: tel – wire, string), Gulf Arab – a woven braided trimming made with metal wire, threads and ribbons often sewn on detachable panels used as embellishments. Other – (Synonym: 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.

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

), possibly silver, over an ivory base.

As a typical example of an (asyuti

Asyūṭī: ( Arabic: city of Assut in central Egypt, synonyms: tallī, 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

), 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.

, mnaqad/mnaghad, , badla/badlah, fardi, ). Cotton linen or synthetic mesh hand embellished with strips of metal squeezed shut around some threads of fabric, creating intricate shapes and designs.

) or ( ), 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.

) embellishment, the field of the is heavily adorned with geometric patterns. Three repeats of a large rhomboidal pattern symbolising an amulet () encasing smaller rhomboids fill up the central panel of the . Each rhomboidal shape is interconnected with a smaller solid rhombus. The rest of the field features a repeat of a water waves () pattern. A zigzag pattern adorns the () side border while an interconnected diamond shape borders the () ends.

More Details

The term 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

), 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.

holds varied interpretations. Some attribute it to a tulle-like fabric, while others connect it to the Roman king Attalus, credited with inventing gold embroidery. However, it is more likely linked to the theory proposed by Shahirah Mahrez, an expert on Egyptian costume, or other historians and etymologists. According to Ms. Mehrez, ), 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.

may have Arabic origins from the word "tali," meaning a solid object coated with a coloured substance. Alternatively, another group suggests it was borrowed from Ottoman Turkish "tel," denoting metal thread. In the Gulf region, ), 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.

is referred to as (), owing to the resemblance of metal straws to palm tree leaves.

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

), 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.

serves as a term encompassing both the embroidery technique and the metal wire integral to the craft, while asyut represents another synonymous term for the craft. The term is borrowed from the name of the Upper Egyptian town of Asyut, once also known as Lycopolis during the Ptolemaic Greek period.

This technique involves single-stitch embroidery traditionally executed on a base of Egyptian cotton tulle fabric. Instead of a conventional thread, a fine metal plate is utilized to create a distinctive angular stitch with a blunt-tipped double-holed needle. Though similar metal techniques are employed worldwide for embroidery, this particular method stands out as unique to the Upper Egyptian town of Asyut.

Despite its historical presence, single-stitch metal embroidery in Egypt remained primarily a form of cultural folk art before the 19th and 20th centuries, evading documentation by Western historians. This craft was predominantly undertaken by women, a traditional skill passed down from generation to generation, shared among kin and friends. Through oral tradition, the techniques of crafting the needle, executing the stitch, and the unwritten catalogue of traditional patterns and their meanings were transmitted.

Highly valued by women in the agricultural community, particularly those in the impoverished regions of Upper Egypt, these fabrics, often used as shawls, were treasured possessions and an integral part of wedding trousseaus. Reserved for significant ceremonial purposes throughout their lives, these shawls held immense sentimental and cultural value.

During the late 19th century, Western tourists navigating the Nile took notice of these distinctive Asyut shawls, sparking a demand for them. Revered as perfect souvenirs, these fabrics exuded an exotic charm through their enigmatic motifs and patterns, further fuelling their popularity amongst travellers seeking unique mementos of their Egyptian adventures.

Links

Mehrez, S. Costumes of Egypt. First, Institut Français D’Archéologie Orientale, 2023.
Rugh, A. B. Reveal and Conceal. First, Syracuse University Press, 1986.
Bos, J. Egypt’s Wearable Heritage. First, Blikvelduitgevers Publishers, 2016.
RAWI Egypt’s Heritage Review, no. 11, 2021.
Devine, Dawn, and Alisha Westerfeld. The Cloth of Egypt All About Assiut: Assiut – Asyut – Tulle-Bi-Telli. Ibexa Press, 2014.
Golden Ages, Dark Ages: Imagining the Past in Anthropology and History. United States, University of California Press, 2021.
Baker, Patricia L. A History of Islamic Court Dress in the Middle East, Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of London, 1986.
Ahmed, Doaa, and Marwa Yassin. “The art of traditional embroidery of Siwa Oasis as an inspiration source for the design of innovative woven women’s clothing fabrics.” International Design Journal, vol. 13, no. 4, 1 July 2023, pp. 235–257, https://doi.org/10.21608/idj.2023.305345.
Lugatism. “Headwear and Footwear in the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517 CE).” Lugatism, 14 Feb. 2024, https://lugatism.wordpress.com/2022/06/22/headwear-and-footwear-in-the-mamluk-sultanate-2/
“The Tanzimat Reforms (1839–76).” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/place/Ottoman-Empire/The-Tanzimat-reforms-1839-76. Accessed 31 Mar. 2024“Ancient Egyptian Agriculture.” Ancient Egyptian Agriculture | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, https://www.fao.org/country-showcase/item-detail/en/c/1287824/#:~:text=Their%20farming%20practices%20allowed%20them,field%20planting%20in%20the%20floodplains.
Maadi, CSA. “Ten Thousand Years of Wearing Linen.” CSA Reviving Community, CSA Reviving Community, 3 Aug. 2023, https://csa-living.org/oasis-blog/ten-thousand-years-of-wearing-linen

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