Embellished crepe veil – Syria

Object Note  

Part of a lot with five other items (ZI2021.500964 SYRIA, ZI2021.500964a SYRIA, ZI2021.500964b SYRIA, ZI2021.500964d SYRIA, and ZI2021.500964e SYRIA) also in the collection. 

Object History 

This piece was donated to The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative by Ms Raeda Daboul in UAE 2021, to enhance the collection. 

Ms Daboul commenced her journey with Gulf Media as a student at Damascus University. With a bachelor's degree in journalism and media, she relocated to the UAE and specialized in Emirati and Gulf cultural, historical, and social aspects. Her passion for the Arabic language propelled her into the world of books, engaging in both authoring and editing. Additionally, Ms Daboul served as a media coordinator for numerous media programs and activities. Currently settled in Vancouver, Canada she is also a regular contributor to The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative’s cause. 

Object Features  

This is a women's black crepe

Crepe: (Latin: crispus; Old French: crespe – curled or frizzed), is a lightweight, crinkled fabric with a pebbled texture woven from a hand spun untreated or ‘in the gum’ silk yarn.

veil (shambar

Shambar: (Arabic: a veil or head covering), a veil or head covering is often made of silk crepe used for ceremonial occasions. Different variants of it could be seen across the Levant especially between Syria and Palestine with different types of embellishments.

) adorned with vibrant beaded embellishments. The fabric's surface is adorned with intricate embroidered patterns using black silk floss Floss: (Old French: flosche – nap of velvet), is a type of silk fibre obtained from the cocoons of wild silkworms. It is characterized by its long, fluffy fibers that are not tightly woven, making it ideal for use in various textile applications such as embroidery, lace-making, and sewing. threads, featuring a series of zigzag lines interspersed with repeated eyelets.  

The predominant stitching styles employed are the (eyelet_stitch

Eyelet_stitch: (English), a decorative pattern in embroidery characterized by a small aperture with delicately stitched borders.

) and possibly the (satin_stitch Satin_stitch: (Synonym: Damask Stitch), is a type of flat embroidery stitch that creates a satin like smooth and shiny surface by closely spaced stitches, covering an entire area or shape.) techniques. Along the hem of the fabric, there is a ribbon of beads in an array of metallic hues – gold, blue, violet, and green.  

These beads are likely made of plastic. The veil exhibits signs of wear and tear, particularly around the edges, possibly attributed to the weight of the beads. It has been mended multiple times, providing evidence of its age and prior use. 

 

Links 

• Kalter, Johannes. Arts and Crafts of Syria. Thames and Hudson, 1993. 
• Rubens, Alfred. A History of Jewish Costumes. Peter Owen Limited, 1973. 
• Scarce, Jennifer. Women’s Costume of the near and Middle East. Unwin Hyman, 1987. 
• Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian, and W. J. Vogelsang. Covering the Moon: An Introduction to Middle Eastern Face Veils. Peeters, 2008. 
• Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. Dressed with Distinction: Garments from Ottoman Syria. Fowler Museum at UCLA, 2019. 
• Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World. Bloomsbury Academic, an Imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2016. 
• Francis, Ellen. “Lebanese Textiles Factory Shuts Its Doors in Dire Economy.” Reuters, 10 Apr. 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-economy-companies-idUSKCN1RM1H5. 
• Palestinian Heritage Foundation, palestineheritage.org/syrian_costumes/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023. 
• “Materials Page.” Tala Barbotin Khalidy, www.talabarbotinkhalidy.com/materials-index. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.