Embellished Satin Dress – Bayt al Faqih

Object Note  

Part of a lot with two more items (ZI2018.500268.1 YEMEN and ZI2018.500268.3 YEMEN) also in the collection.  

Object History  

This piece was purchased by Dr. Reem Tariq

Ṭariq: (Arabic; 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 ), 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.

; 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 Dr. Reem Tariq

Ṭariq: (Arabic; 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 ), 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.

; 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 Mutwallī: Founder (CEO) of the Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative, a public figure, speaker and author. An expert curator and consultant in Islamic art and architecture, interior design, historic costume, and UAE heritage. from a Yemeni independent dealer, Mr Zakariyah Ahmed, in 2018 to be added to and enhance The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative collection. 

Mr. Ahmed is an antique and silver dealer from Sana’a, Yemen, and a close supporter of The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period.. Like many others, he reached out to the team shortly after the launch of The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period.’s digital archive in 2019.  

Over the years, he has sourced many items, especially from Yemen and the KSA, for the collection. We at The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. will remain forever grateful to Mr Ahmed for his gracious support and help. 

Object Features  

This is a woman’s ceremonial dress (zinnah

Zinnah: (Arabic: zayyana – to beautify or adorn; Synonym: korta), a traditional Yemeni women’s attire or dress adorned with embellishment used for ceremonial purposes.

) from the Bayt Bayt: (Arabic: house). Colloquially in the UAE it refers to the larger, middle part of the decorative ankle-cuff (bādlah) and can include between one to twenty different braids (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 ), 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; khus_dozi), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment.

_fatlah Fātlah: (Arabic: fatala: to twist/twine, pl. fātlāt/ftūl), in the UAE colloquially, it refers to braids in (tallī) work. The braid or strand resembles a running stitch, where the effect is attained by continuously looping metallic thread with silk, cotton, or synthetic thread.  ), hand-stitched side by side in different motifs, and hemmed by a few lines forming the rim (trāf). al Faqih region of Yemen. Constructed from a black, possibly silk (satin Sātin: (Arabic: Zaytuni: from Chinese port of Zayton in Quanzhou province where it was exported from and acquired by Arab merchants), one of the three basic types of woven fabric with a glossy top surface and a dull back. Originated in China and was fundamentally woven in silk.) fabric, the piece features embroidered embellishments in cotton thread, metal wire, and straw.  

The field of the piece is embellished with thin (passementerie

Passementerie: (French: passement – braid), decorative trimmings or edgings for textile, often made of threads of silk, cotton, or precious metals such as gold and silver, generally braided or twisted into cords.

) bands of ivory cotton threads with metal thread wrapped around them. These bands are attached to the zinnah

Zinnah: (Arabic: zayyana – to beautify or adorn; Synonym: korta), a traditional Yemeni women’s attire or dress adorned with embellishment used for ceremonial purposes.

using (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

) technique. With a stiff high collar, the piece has a deep slitted front opening with metal straw (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 ), 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; khus_dozi), series of small metal knots made on a woven net ground as embellishment.

) or (sim) embellished neckline. An orange chiffon panel with green 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. and golden tinsel is used as a flap to cover this deep slitted front opening. 

Six sim bands run along the neckline of the piece. While the fourth band, which uses red cotton thread, is the broadest, the rest of the bands are much thinner, with the first in ivory, the second and the sixth in red, and finally the third and the fifth in green. These sim bands are followed by a row of passementerie

Passementerie: (French: passement – braid), decorative trimmings or edgings for textile, often made of threads of silk, cotton, or precious metals such as gold and silver, generally braided or twisted into cords.

bands. A similar sim patch adorns the shoulders, both front and back, and the sides of the waist, framed by a thick row of ivory passementerie

Passementerie: (French: passement – braid), decorative trimmings or edgings for textile, often made of threads of silk, cotton, or precious metals such as gold and silver, generally braided or twisted into cords.

band, as well as the edges of the cuffs of the sleeves.  

The collar of the piece is constructed of a floral printed silk panel in red over an ivory base. Three sim trimmings in green, red, and ivory are used to adorn the collar. A similar trimming is used to adorn the fall hemline of the piece.  

A wide panel of fourteen passementerie

Passementerie: (French: passement – braid), decorative trimmings or edgings for textile, often made of threads of silk, cotton, or precious metals such as gold and silver, generally braided or twisted into cords.

bands adorns the front centre of the zinnah

Zinnah: (Arabic: zayyana – to beautify or adorn; Synonym: korta), a traditional Yemeni women’s attire or dress adorned with embellishment used for ceremonial purposes.

from the base of the front opening, extending to mid skirt length. Each band has nine knots repeated horizontally that separate the panel into ten segments. 

The middle band has a brown filler as a highlight. While the ninth layer or segment is the longest, the tenth segment is smaller with only seven bands with a tassel pattern at its end. 

The back of the zinnah

Zinnah: (Arabic: zayyana – to beautify or adorn; Synonym: korta), a traditional Yemeni women’s attire or dress adorned with embellishment used for ceremonial purposes.

features relatively less embellishment than the front. Similar panels adorn the sides of the piece from the underarms to mid-skirt length, the centre of the back (yoke Yoke: (Synonym: Bodice_Yoke), a structured pattern fitted at the shoulders defining the structure of women’s garments. Introduced in c. 1880s it defines the transition between the upper and lower parts of the garments and can now be found stitched-in where the blouse is separated from the skirt by a horizontal seam. ), and the top of the sleeves. The middle band of the panel in the back yoke Yoke: (Synonym: Bodice_Yoke), a structured pattern fitted at the shoulders defining the structure of women’s garments. Introduced in c. 1880s it defines the transition between the upper and lower parts of the garments and can now be found stitched-in where the blouse is separated from the skirt by a horizontal seam.  is highlighted with brown thread. A single passementerie

Passementerie: (French: passement – braid), decorative trimmings or edgings for textile, often made of threads of silk, cotton, or precious metals such as gold and silver, generally braided or twisted into cords.

band adorns the seamlines of the piece.  

The zinnah

Zinnah: (Arabic: zayyana – to beautify or adorn; Synonym: korta), a traditional Yemeni women’s attire or dress adorned with embellishment used for ceremonial purposes.

, entirely hand-stitched and hand-embroidered, is partially lined with plain (indigo Indigo: (Latin: Indigo – India, synonym: nil Nīl: (Latin: indigo), Arabised term for Indigo, a natural dye belonging to the ‘Indigofera Tinctoria’ species of plants that have been cultivated in East Asia, Egypt, India, and Peru since antiquity. According to Pliny the Elder, it was named after India as it was the source of the dye.), a natural dye belonging to the ‘Indigofera Tinctoria’ species of plants that has been cultivated in East Asia, Egypt, India, and Peru since antiquity. According to Pliny the Elder, it was named after India as it was the source of the dye.  ) dyed cotton fabric along the embroidered sections. This lining likely serves to reinforce the top fabric and provide padding for the wearer.