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Plain cotton veil - UAE

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Local NameShaylah nidwah, shaylah wasmah, wigayah, ghishwah
Object CategoryHeadwear    
GenderFemale    
Date of objectCirca 1982
Place Of orginAsia
RegionHatta, UAE
Object RangeUAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, KSA
DimensionsLength: 232 cm Width: 113 cm
MaterialsCotton    
Color
ProvenanceGifted, Selma Ahmed, Um Salim, Hatta 1982
LocationThe Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative
StatusIn storage
ZI numberZI1982.500303 UAE
Object History   
This basic black light cotton gauze Gauze: (English), very fine wire mesh transparent fabric of silk, linen, or cotton. (shash) head veil (shaylah Shaylah: (Colloquial Gulf Arabic), a length of fabric used as shawl, head cover or veil. Also known as (wigāyah) or (milfa’), generally made from sheer fabrics such as tulle (tūr), cotton gauze (wasmah Wasmah: (Arabic: woad), is derived from the woad herb (wasmah) used to dye the cotton gauze black. It is mainly used for headcovers or veils and overgarments in most of the Arab gulf region.) (nidwah) or (Nīl), or silk chiffon (sarī).) was gifted to Dr. Reem Tariq el Mutwalli on one of her field trips to the remote mountainous northern area of Hatta in the UAE as she was compiling data for her PhD research on this topic from the late 1980s onwards.  
She met with Selma Ahmed, Um ‘Um: (Arabic: mother), a sign of respect or formality, women are not addressed by their own names, rather as mother of, then adding the name of the eldest son as in Um Mohammed. Also can mean: with, for example (‘um mishakhiṣ) meaning with gold embellishment. Salim a craftswoman skilled in metallic straw adornment (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.

) who helped explain details of this traditional craft.  The two women struck a chord and Selma gifted this veil to Dr. Reem. In due course, it was added to The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Collection in memory of Selma who passed away at the age of 92, in early 2013. 
Selma was a simple woman who never learned how to read or write. She was married to her paternal cousin at the young age of 14 and gave birth to 6 daughters and 3 sons. She learned the trade from her mother and aunts who were all skilled in metallic straw adornment 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.

 and facemask (burgu Burgu’: (Arabic: burqa’: mask, pl. barāqi’), a generic name given to one of many forms of face veils or masks, known as (niqāb). Stiffer versions made of 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, are known as (batūlah) in Oman and Qatar. The (qāf) turns to (ga) in many Arab dialects.) making. 
 
Object Features   
This light rectangular plain Indian cotton gauze Gauze: (English), very fine wire mesh transparent fabric of silk, linen, or cotton. (shash) head veil is simply a length of fabric that came in different weights and weave densities.  It is commonly used in the UAE and the whole Arab gulf region to cover the head and upper body. It is known very broadly by the term (nidwah Nidwah: (Colloquial Gulf Arabic). Loose weave, black Indian cotton gauze (shāsh) fabric. Generally used for shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. , head scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. or veil (shaylah Shaylah: (Colloquial Gulf Arabic), a length of fabric used as shawl, head cover or veil. Also known as (wigāyah) or (milfa’), generally made from sheer fabrics such as tulle (tūr), cotton gauze (wasmah Wasmah: (Arabic: woad), is derived from the woad herb (wasmah) used to dye the cotton gauze black. It is mainly used for headcovers or veils and overgarments in most of the Arab gulf region.) (nidwah) or (Nīl), or silk chiffon (sarī).) and overgarments (athwāb). When dyed in woad it is called (wasmah Wasmah: (Arabic: woad), is derived from the woad herb (wasmah) used to dye the cotton gauze black. It is mainly used for headcovers or veils and overgarments in most of the Arab gulf region.), when dyed in indigo it is then called (nīl).) or (wasmah Wasmah: (Arabic: woad), is derived from the woad herb (wasmah) used to dye the cotton gauze black. It is mainly used for headcovers or veils and overgarments in most of the Arab gulf region.) or (wigayah Wigāyah: (Arabic: verb waqa: to protect), the term is applied to any fabric that is draped off the head to cover the upper portion of the body thus used as shawl, head scarf or veil (shaylah). Some can have a fringe (hāshīyah). The letter (qāf) is commonly pronounced (guh) colloquially rendering the term: wigāyah.). 
In the pre-80s when times were hard, two lengths (fajatayn Fajatayn: (Arabic: fajah: strip between two mountains), two strips, bolts or lengths of fabric used to measure finished cloth.) of the fabric were sewn together lengthwise at the central edge to create a large wide rectangular form that could engulf the whole body and act as an outer cloak worn at home or in public by most working women. A functional and more economical version of the cloak (abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht Bisht: (Arabic: bjd or bjād: cloak, Akkadian: bishtu or Persian: back, pl. bshūt synonyms: ‘Abā,‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by men. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function.) which, in earlier times, could only be afforded by the few elites among the tribe. The two narrower cut outer edges of the fabric were generally left naively unhemmed, fraying the cotton threads off to use for hand stitching the central portion. 
The fabric is generally draped off the head and allowed to just float around to cover most of the body. It is often held in place by biting on a section of the draped fabric close to the left or right cheeks. At times the loose ends are gathered, crumbled and tucked under one arm, or held tight with one hand to cover the whole body and face allowing for just one eye to appear to facilitate vision.  
Another common public practice within the region is to pull down the top portion above the forehead concealing the whole face down to the chest line, or reversely hold one of the draped corners in both hands and flip it up to cover the crown concealing the entire face, neck, and chest areas. This then renders the article a (ghishwah Ghishwah: (Arabic: ghashā: to cover), the term is applied to any sheer fabric such as shawl Shawl: (Persian: shāl from Hindi: duśālā – Shoulder Mantle), a shawl is a South Asian version of a scarf worn or wrapped loosely over the shoulders and is usually made of wool. , head scarf Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. or veil (shaylah Shaylah: (Colloquial Gulf Arabic), a length of fabric used as shawl, head cover or veil. Also known as (wigāyah) or (milfa’), generally made from sheer fabrics such as tulle (tūr), cotton gauze (wasmah Wasmah: (Arabic: woad), is derived from the woad herb (wasmah) used to dye the cotton gauze black. It is mainly used for headcovers or veils and overgarments in most of the Arab gulf region.) (nidwah) or (Nīl), or silk chiffon (sarī).) if draped off the head to conceal the face, in Arab gulf dialect.) from the verb to conceal. Both actions are carried out by women very swiftly, elegantly, and somewhat sensuously when any non-relative male crosses their path unexpectedly. 

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