Indigo dyed tunic dress - UAE

Object Note
This tunic dress (kandurah_arabiyah Kandūrah_‘arabīyah: (colloquial Emirati term), coined post 1990s, to refer to the qamīs-like tunic with vertical slit located on the left side of the neckline extending down the chest. The origins of this slit are believed to lie in the Punjabi (kurta Kūrtā: (Urdu and Persian: kurtah Kurtah: (Urdu and Persian: kurta, synonyms: bīchī, gawan, fustān, nafnūf, kirtah), a loose sleeveless shirt of varying lengths, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees, with its side-seams left open at the bottom, worn in South Asia, usually with a salwar

Salwar: (Farsi: shalvār; Synonym: ṣarwāl, shirwāl ), trousers featuring tapering ankles and drawstring closure of Central Asian origin. They disseminated in the Indian subcontinent between c.1st-3rd century BCE. Although exact period of its arrival in the Arab world is disputed their widespread adoption is confirmed from the 12th century.

, churidars, or pyjama. In Hijazi dialect, the term refers to a sleeved, waist-cinched dress that comes in different styles, popularly worn since the 1950s.). a sleeveless shirt of varying length, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, with its side-seams left open at the bottom.) and is generally fastened using cotton thread ball-like buttons ('igham), or metal snaps (siq_w_bic) which were subsequently replaced by transparent versions.ly replaced by transparent versions.) is the undergarment part of a two-piece ensemble (thawb_wa_kandurah Thawb_wa_kandūrah: (colloquial, UAE), an elaborate form of the traditional overgarment (thawb) and tunic (kandūrah) ensemble, that evolved post-1980s where the two garments became matched as a set.). The companion piece to the overgarment (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.   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.) (ZI1996.5007a UAE).
 
Object History 
The object was handmade by the grandmother of its original owner Hamamah bint Mubarak and was bequeathed to her (Mkhalaf_’alayiha Mkhalaf_’alayīha: (Arabic: khalafah, ’alayīha: to her) meaning 'left behind', 'inherited'.). Although the seller insisted it dates from between the 1930s and 1960s, possibly more recent 1970s or 1980s.
Hamamah was in her late eighties when she decided to sell us the outfit in 1996.
 
Object Features 
This type of tunic dress (kandurah_arabiyah Kandūrah_‘arabīyah: (colloquial Emirati term), coined post 1990s, to refer to the qamīs-like tunic with vertical slit located on the left side of the neckline extending down the chest. The origins of this slit are believed to lie in the Punjabi (kurta Kūrtā: (Urdu and Persian: kurtah Kurtah: (Urdu and Persian: kurta, synonyms: bīchī, gawan, fustān, nafnūf, kirtah), a loose sleeveless shirt of varying lengths, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees, with its side-seams left open at the bottom, worn in South Asia, usually with a salwar

Salwar: (Farsi: shalvār; Synonym: ṣarwāl, shirwāl ), trousers featuring tapering ankles and drawstring closure of Central Asian origin. They disseminated in the Indian subcontinent between c.1st-3rd century BCE. Although exact period of its arrival in the Arab world is disputed their widespread adoption is confirmed from the 12th century.

, churidars, or pyjama. In Hijazi dialect, the term refers to a sleeved, waist-cinched dress that comes in different styles, popularly worn since the 1950s.). a sleeveless shirt of varying length, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, with its side-seams left open at the bottom.) and is generally fastened using cotton thread ball-like buttons ('igham), or metal snaps (siq_w_bic) which were subsequently replaced by transparent versions.ly replaced by transparent versions.) is particular to the UAE. It is a tunic with a vertical slit (shaj Shaj: (Arabic: shaq), meaning 'a rip or tear’ and refers to the opening at the neckline of a garment, also known as (jayīb). The letter (qaf) is turned (jīm) in many colloquial Arab dialects.) located on the left side of the neckline (halj Ḥalj: (Arabic: ḥalq: mouth, pl: ḥlūj,). Colloquially, the term refers to the neckline opening. The letter (qāf) is turned (jīm) in many Arab dialects.) which extends down to the chest. Its origins are believed to lie in the Punjabi (kurta Kūrtā: (Urdu and Persian: kurtah Kurtah: (Urdu and Persian: kurta, synonyms: bīchī, gawan, fustān, nafnūf, kirtah), a loose sleeveless shirt of varying lengths, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees, with its side-seams left open at the bottom, worn in South Asia, usually with a salwar

Salwar: (Farsi: shalvār; Synonym: ṣarwāl, shirwāl ), trousers featuring tapering ankles and drawstring closure of Central Asian origin. They disseminated in the Indian subcontinent between c.1st-3rd century BCE. Although exact period of its arrival in the Arab world is disputed their widespread adoption is confirmed from the 12th century.

, churidars, or pyjama. In Hijazi dialect, the term refers to a sleeved, waist-cinched dress that comes in different styles, popularly worn since the 1950s.). a sleeveless shirt of varying length, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, with its side-seams left open at the bottom.).
The neckline (halj Ḥalj: (Arabic: ḥalq: mouth, pl: ḥlūj,). Colloquially, the term refers to the neckline opening. The letter (qāf) is turned (jīm) in many Arab dialects.) and the cuffs (hyul Ḥyūl: (Arabic: hjūl: to walk or jump), colloquially in the Gulf region, the term refers to the hem of garment or its sleeves. In pronunciation, the (j) turns to (y). ) are outlined in simple stitches in a silver metallic thread. The sleeve cuffs feature an underarm gusset (bat Bāṭ: (Arabic: underarm/armpit, pl. bītān, synonym: ibt, tkhrāṣah, tnfāyah/tnfājah), gusset, a triangular or rhomboidal piece of fabric inserted into the seam to add breadth or reduce stress from tight-fitting clothing. Used for underarms on tunic dresses, side sleeve panels on overgarments (thāwb), and undergarments (ṣarāwl). ) in a contrasting red and yellow polka dot cotton (bu_tilah Bū_tīlah: (Arabic, bū: diminutive of abu: father, tīlah: glass marbles), colloquially in UAE refers to printed or embroidered glass-marble shape and size circular or polka dot motifs.) which was inserted to reinforce the garment.
The tailoring, in general, is crude, as can be seen on the front lower portion of the garment, where the manufacturer’s printed seal or logo is visible.
In this example, the slit is closed with metal press buttons called (siq_w_biq Siq_w_biq: (Colloquial Arabic), metallic snap studs used to fasten clothing. The term in an onomatopoeia representing the sound that the snaps make when opening and snapping shut.). At the time when this tunic dress (kandurah_arabiyah Kandūrah_‘arabīyah: (colloquial Emirati term), coined post 1990s, to refer to the qamīs-like tunic with vertical slit located on the left side of the neckline extending down the chest. The origins of this slit are believed to lie in the Punjabi (kurta Kūrtā: (Urdu and Persian: kurtah Kurtah: (Urdu and Persian: kurta, synonyms: bīchī, gawan, fustān, nafnūf, kirtah), a loose sleeveless shirt of varying lengths, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees, with its side-seams left open at the bottom, worn in South Asia, usually with a salwar

Salwar: (Farsi: shalvār; Synonym: ṣarwāl, shirwāl ), trousers featuring tapering ankles and drawstring closure of Central Asian origin. They disseminated in the Indian subcontinent between c.1st-3rd century BCE. Although exact period of its arrival in the Arab world is disputed their widespread adoption is confirmed from the 12th century.

, churidars, or pyjama. In Hijazi dialect, the term refers to a sleeved, waist-cinched dress that comes in different styles, popularly worn since the 1950s.). a sleeveless shirt of varying length, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, with its side-seams left open at the bottom.) and is generally fastened using cotton thread ball-like buttons ('igham), or metal snaps (siq_w_bic) which were subsequently replaced by transparent versions.ly replaced by transparent versions.) was sewn, these buttons were a symbol of modernity and social status compared to others, in which ball buttons were used that were made of cotton thread and called (igam).
Traditionally, the 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 tunic dress is worn for two very different functions:
1. Everyday wear: this was a highly versatile 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 tunic dress that was ubiquitous throughout the Arabian Peninsula, especially among Bedouin tribes, until the advent of chemical dyes in the 1950s. All working women, from the urban market place stall holder selling her wares, to the rural or desert housewife going to the well to fetch water, would have worn this type of garment, as 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 clothing is traditionally valued because it moisturizes the body in a hot climate as the 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.   is a natural sunscreen, in addition to its medical properties and its good effect on the skin, and the dark color of the 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.  . It is also valued for helping to conceal the silhouette of the body due to its dark colour.
2. Bridal preparation: brides traditionally remained out of sight for 40 days before their wedding. During that time, they would wear the thawb_kandurah Thawb_kandūrah: (colloquial, UAE), post-1990s the (Thawb_wa_kandūrah) ensemble of the eighties evolved where the overgarment (thawb) and tunic (kandūrah) became united at the neckline creating one outfit and inner tunic receding to act as lining. together with a 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).) and underpants (sarwal

Ṣarwāl: (Farsi: shalvār; Synonym: salwar, shirwāl), trousers featuring tapering ankles and drawstring closure of Central Asian origin. They disseminated in the Indian subcontinent between c.1st-3rd century BCE. Although exact period of its arrival in the Arab world is disputed their widespread adoption is confirmed from the 12th century.

), all coloured with the same 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.   dye (sabghat_nil Ṣabghat_nīl: (Arabic: ṣabghat: dye, nīl: indigo).). With repeated wear, the dye would stain the body, and this was believed to help cure skin ailments, condition the body, and give the hair an added darker, shiny lustre. The night before the wedding week, the bride’s skin is exfoliated to remove the stain, making her skin moist, tender, and lighter.