Object History
An Instagram follower reached out to donate this article of dress to The Zay Initiative in 2021. An expat who had lived in Lebanon in the 1980s-1990s, and had acquired it from the Artisanat Zghorta store, a well-known workshop, established in 1966 in the city of Zghorta, Lebanon, promoting traditional crafts.
Sadly, the Zay Initiative team lost contact with the person who generously donated this piece, we know her name was Di & we tried reaching out to her to obtain more information but to no avail.
Object Features
This black cotton tunic (Gallabiyah) is couture labelled (Artisanat Zghorta). It follows the basic shape of common tunic dresses (gallabiyat) found across the Arab world. Composed of a central body panel, a fitted neckline, and full-length sleeves. It is machine embroidered at the front, in a chain stitched metallic golden thread, with large, stylized, and mirrored Palmette motifs. The same motif is replicated on both sleeves, in a smaller format.