Embroidered overgarment – Iraq

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 to commemorate the life and memory of Dr. Amet Zahawi by Jeff Newland from California USA in 2019, to be added to and enhance the collection.  

The piece originally belonged to Mr Newland’s mother and maternal aunt to Dr Reem’s husband, Mr Bashar Al Kalamchi.  

Born Amet Al Aziz Muthafar Al Zahawi in 1921, Dr Zahawi was one of the first Muslim women to have graduated from the Royal College of Medicine in Baghdad in 1943.  

After her training at the Royal Teaching Hospital and the Children’s Hospital in Baghdad, she travelled to the USA in 1947 for further studies and trained in paediatric hospitals of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston, and became the first licensed female Iraqi doctor in the United States in 1950.  

She specialised in paediatric allergy and practiced at her clinic in Orange County, California.  

This piece was originally sourced from Basra by Dr Zahawi’s family in Iraq upon her request and was eventually shipped to her at the United States. 

Unfortunately, Dr Zahawi had very few opportunities in the US to wear traditional garments such as this, thus making it one of the pieces in her wardrobe that was worn very few times.  

Intriguingly, an oil portrait of the doctor by a New York based artist, John Koch, in the 1960s features her wearing a similar piece. 

Object Features  

This is a traditional Iraqi style woman’s tunic robe (thawb Thawb: (Arabic: thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thobe Thobe: (Arabic: thawb, Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women in the Arabian Gulf region.  ), often locally referred to as the (hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

). Constructed of silk (georgette Georgette: (French: Georgette de la Plante – a famous dressmaker), a lightweight, sheer fabric with a dull crimpled surface. It is usually made of silk but can also be made of synthetic fibers. Georgette was first introduced in the early 20th century and was named after the French dressmaker. ) fabric, it features elaborate embroidered patterns, a wide round neckline, and wide sleeves. 

The hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

features metal thread (kalabdun

Kalabdūn: (Hindustani: kalabattu / kalabattun gold or silver threads; or Dravidian and Sanskrit: pattu or patt – a kind of fine fibre or silk; or Sanskrit: kalavatu – fine material), the gold wire used in embroidery and other embellishments on textiles and fabrics.

) and metal sequin (pulek

Pulek: coloquilal Iraqi meaning sequin, in Egyptian and levant dialects it is pronounced (folek), also known by (tirtir).

) embellishment in floral and foliage patterns. Both the metal sequins (pulek

Pulek: coloquilal Iraqi meaning sequin, in Egyptian and levant dialects it is pronounced (folek), also known by (tirtir).

) as well as the kalabdun

Kalabdūn: (Hindustani: kalabattu / kalabattun gold or silver threads; or Dravidian and Sanskrit: pattu or patt – a kind of fine fibre or silk; or Sanskrit: kalavatu – fine material), the gold wire used in embroidery and other embellishments on textiles and fabrics.

are possibly gilded or gold-plated silver, and the embroidery technique used is possibly (looped_running_stitch

Looped_running_stitch: (English), a decorative embroidery stitch combining a basic running stitch with loops added between or over the stitches. It's often used for textured borders or embellishments in embroidery.

) style.  

Although the field of the hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

is mostly plain, the front neck and seamlines are embellished with repeats of large floral roundels. While the floral roundel around the neckline features a scalloped outside edge, the roundels along the seamlines are separated by a linear pattern.  

This pattern extends to the seamline of the underarm gussets, which is, in turn, filled with foliage patterns, while the seamlines on the back of the hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

, however, are embellished with a thin zigzag panel also with gold kalabdun

Kalabdūn: (Hindustani: kalabattu / kalabattun gold or silver threads; or Dravidian and Sanskrit: pattu or patt – a kind of fine fibre or silk; or Sanskrit: kalavatu – fine material), the gold wire used in embroidery and other embellishments on textiles and fabrics.

.  

While the embroidery is possibly done by hand, the piece, which has no lining, is completely machine-stitched.  

Although bought in Iraq and styled into a typical traditional Arab garment, it could possibly have been crafted in India, as was the traditional practice. Usually, fabric such as this was often crafted and designed in the subcontinent for export to the Arab market to be used for tailoring women’s garments such as these.  

More details 

Although the origin of the hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia, sources attribute its name to the renowned use of this garment by women of the Bani Hashem tribe. Traditionally sewn in Iraq, particularly in Najaf, Hilla, and Basra, it shares a close resemblance to (thawb_najdi Thawb_Najdī: (Arabic: Najd, Saudi Arabia), referring to the style of overgarment (thawb) worn in Najd. Also known by (mnaykhil), (saḥābī) and (tūr).) and (thawb_nashil

Thawb_nashil: (Arabic : mnshal : cover usedon carriagecarried by camel),  in colloquial Gulf dialectthis translates to heavilyadornedovergarments (athwab Athwāb: (Arabic, sing. thawb), the standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. It is sometimes spelled (thobe), (thaub), or (tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. ).) resembling the heavilyadorned coversof abride’scarriage (hodag).

).

It later gained popularity in the Gulf countries, where wearing the hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

is generally associated with weddings. Often worn with a long dress of a different colour underneath it to accentuate its elegant embroideries, the hashmi

Hashmī: (Arabic: Hashim (House of) – an Arab royal family from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe), a type of elaborately decorated women’s traditional garment or thawb from Iraq that was named after the royal family that ruled Iraq until the mid 20th century.

remained one of the most prominent and traditional ceremonial dresses in Iraq until the 1960s.  

The Thawb Thawb: (Arabic: thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thobe Thobe: (Arabic: thawb, Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. or tobe Tobe: (Arabic:  thawb,  Pl. Athwāb/thībān), can be pronounced thawb or thobe based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women. based on locale. The standard Arabic word for ‘fabric’ or ‘garment’. It can also refer to a qamīs-like tunic worn by men and women in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the southern and south-western ports and islands of Iran, and some countries in East and West Africa. More specifically, it can refer to the square-shaped Bedouin overgarment worn by women in the Arabian Gulf region.  , in its unembellished cotton or tulle form, is worn for sleeping and as a daily household dress, so not just for weddings. 

Links 

• Zieme, Peter. Silk and Wad in Old Turkish Terminology. - Turkdilleri.Org, www.turkdilleri.org/turkdilleri/sayilar/tda7/PZieme.pdf 
• Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.  
• Stillman, Yedida Kalfon, and Norman A. Stillman. Arab Dress: From the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times. Brill, 2003.  
• Scarce, Jennifer. Womens Costume of the near and the Middle East. RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.  
• Rubens, Alfred. A History of Jewish Costume. 1981.  
• “Clothing And Fashion, Middle East" Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450 . Encyclopedia.Com. 8 Jan. 2024 .” Encyclopedia.Com, Encyclopedia.com, 29 Jan. 2024, www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/clothing-and-fashion-middle-east.  
• Baghdad, 10th Century the Dress of a Non-Muslim Woman, sayyidajahanara.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/baghdad-costume.pdf. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.  
• A Charuga

  Charuga: (Possibly Kurdish), a mantle-like embroidered women’s traditional garment from the Qaraqosh region in northern Iraq, traditionally fastened at the shoulder. Historically worn by field workers, it helped conceal dust and dirt, making them less visible during labour, it is a festive garment worn sparingly during festivals and other special occasions.  

  from Northern Iraq Has Arrived at the TRC!, www.trc-leiden.nl/trc/index.php/en/blog/1378-the-charuga

  Charuga: (Possibly Kurdish), a mantle-like embroidered women’s traditional garment from the Qaraqosh region in northern Iraq, traditionally fastened at the shoulder. Historically worn by field workers, it helped conceal dust and dirt, making them less visible during labour, it is a festive garment worn sparingly during festivals and other special occasions.  

  -from-northern-iraq-has-arrvied-at-the-trc. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.  
• “Clothing.” Kurdish Central, 18 Nov. 2021, kurdishcentral.org/clothing/.  
• Foundation, Encyclopaedia Iranica. “Clothing of the Kurdish Jews.” Encyclopaedia Iranica, iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xvii. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.  
• “Learn about Kurdish Dress.” The Kurdish Project, 2 Aug. 2016, thekurdishproject.org/history-and-culture/kurdish-culture/kurdish-dress/.