Object NotePart of an ensemble consisting of two more parts (
ZI 2018.500121a ASIA and
ZI 2018.500121b ASIA).
Object History This object was sourced with the help of fashion designer Homeira Ebadi from an elderly lady Khir Fatima Kalsun of Larestan County in Fars province, Iran. It was purchased by her on behalf of
Dr. Reem Tariq El Mutwalli
Dr. Reem Tariq 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. in 2018 to be added to The
Zay
Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. initiative collection.
Apart from being a fashion designer Ms. Ebadi is a dedicated volunteer associated with The
Zay
Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative and its cause, often lending a hand in sourcing unique pieces like this.
Our heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Ebadi for her efforts for her contribution.
Object Features This is a scarlet (
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.) silk (
brocade
Brocade: (Italian: brocco – twisted thread), is a richly decorative fabric woven with an intricate raised pattern. Its origins can be traced back to ancient China, where it was made for the imperial court. It later spread to Europe during the Renaissance and became popular in couture and decorative arts. ) women’s traditional ceremonial shirt (
jama_atlas
Jama_atlas: (Hindustani: jama
Jāma: (Persian, Synonym: Juma
Jūma: (Persian, Synonym: Jama), a mantle to cover the torso. Amongst the women in south of Iran specially from Hormozgan it is a loose shift tunic dress, however the connotation changes and is used to refer to a shirt dress by the women further north.), a mantle to cover the torso. Amongst the women in south of Iran specially from Hormozgan it is a loose shift tunic dress, however the connotation changes and is used to refer to a shirt dress by the women further north. – A robe; Atlas – silk obtained from the Atlas worm; Synonym: Juma_atlas
Juma_atlas: (Hindustani: Juma
Jūma: (Persian, Synonym: Jama), a mantle to cover the torso. Amongst the women in south of Iran specially from Hormozgan it is a loose shift tunic dress, however the connotation changes and is used to refer to a shirt dress by the women further north. – A robe; Atlas – silk obtained from the Atlas worm; Synonym: Jama_atlas), a collarless shirt of silk brocade fabric worn during ceremonial occasions like weddings by women of the Lori speaking ethnic community in south and southwest of Iran. ), a collarless shirt of silk brocade fabric worn during ceremonial occasions like weddings by women of the Lori speaking ethnic community in south and southwest of Iran. )/(
juma_atlas
Juma_atlas: (Hindustani: Juma
Jūma: (Persian, Synonym: Jama), a mantle to cover the torso. Amongst the women in south of Iran specially from Hormozgan it is a loose shift tunic dress, however the connotation changes and is used to refer to a shirt dress by the women further north. – A robe; Atlas – silk obtained from the Atlas worm; Synonym: Jama_atlas), a collarless shirt of silk brocade fabric worn during ceremonial occasions like weddings by women of the Lori speaking ethnic community in south and southwest of Iran. ) from Evaz especially worn during weddings. It has gold, silver, blue, green, and
turquoise
Turquoise: (French: turquois – present day Türkiye; Synonyms: firuze
Firuze: (Persian: pērōzah – "victory", later Arabic: fayrūz; Synonyms: firuze, pheroza), is a naturally occurring opaque mineral mined in abundance in Khorasan province of Iran and has been used for making dye for centuries. , pheroza), is a naturally occurring opaque mineral mined in abundance in Khorasan province of Iran and has been used for making dye for centuries. The term is a derivative of the French word for the country Türkiye once called Turkey. silk woven threads in floral motifs. It is usually worn over a full or divided skirt (
tombun_zanuna
Tombūn-zanūna: (Persian: zanu/zanoo – knee; Synonym: Tonban
Tonbān: (Persian, Synonym: tombun_zanuna, Salita
Salīta: (Persian, Synonym: tombun_zanuna, Tonban), traditional long skirts usually of satin silk worn by Turkic-speaking Qashqai women of Iran. ), traditional long skirts usually of satin silk worn by Turkic speaking Qashqai women of Iran. , Salita
Salīta: (Persian, Synonym: tombun_zanuna, Tonban), traditional long skirts usually of satin silk worn by Turkic-speaking Qashqai women of Iran. ), traditional long skirts usually of satin silk worn by Lori speaking ethnic women of Iran. ) and a pair of under-drawers (
zirsawlar
) by Lori-speaking ethnic women of Iran including the women of the Lor, Bakhtiari, and Boir-Ahmadi tribes.
With a round neckline followed by a ‘v ‘shaped packeted sliver and an extended slit down the front middle for opening, it has a strip of metal buttons in golden colour.
The placket of the neckline and the front opening has trimmings with metallic embroidery (
badlah
Bādlah: (Hindi: badla, pl. bawādil), metallic thread adornment. Colloquially in the UAE, it refers to the embellished pant cuffs, also be pronounced (bedlah) from the verb to change, due to its value it was recycled from one garment to the other.) where small metal pieces – possibly silver – are set into the base of the ribbons in a zigzag pattern on a black woollen base. This is followed by a similar-looking but a smaller row of metal
badlah
Bādlah: (Hindi: badla, pl. bawādil), metallic thread adornment. Colloquially in the UAE, it refers to the embellished pant cuffs, also be pronounced (bedlah) from the verb to change, due to its value it was recycled from one garment to the other. trimming on a red base. The outermost layer is a wide lace trimming (crocheted) with metallic threads possibly gold and silver (
zari
Zarī: (Persian two-syllables: zar: gold & dozi: embellishment), complex embroidery technique that uses metal alloy on silk, satin, or velvet, and may include pearls, beads, and precious stones. Colloquially in the Arab gulf region, the term (zarī) is loosely applied to any gilded thread, embellishment or gilded brocade fabric. Originated in ancient Persia it has been used extensively in Indian and Middle Eastern textiles for centuries. ).
The cuffs of the shirt have several tiers of
badlah
Bādlah: (Hindi: badla, pl. bawādil), metallic thread adornment. Colloquially in the UAE, it refers to the embellished pant cuffs, also be pronounced (bedlah) from the verb to change, due to its value it was recycled from one garment to the other. trimmed rows featuring different geometric shapes aligned parallel to one another primarily on black, red, and yellow base. It is also finished with a wide gold and silver
zari
Zarī: (Persian two-syllables: zar: gold & dozi: embellishment), complex embroidery technique that uses metal alloy on silk, satin, or velvet, and may include pearls, beads, and precious stones. Colloquially in the Arab gulf region, the term (zarī) is loosely applied to any gilded thread, embellishment or gilded brocade fabric. Originated in ancient Persia it has been used extensively in Indian and Middle Eastern textiles for centuries. crocheted lace woven with metallic threads.
The shirt consists of several sections, a central section that covers both the front and back of the wearer followed by two longitudinal sections on either side with two square pieces of cloth at the armpits connected to the sleeves.
The left side of the piece has two small holes. It is a completely hand-stitched piece with no lining except around the collar, the cuffs and down the midriff to prevent the metal trimmings and lace from brushing up against the skin of the wearer. The limited amount of lining is constructed of a red
crepe
Crepe: (Latin: crispus; Old French: crespe – curled or frizzed), is a lightweight, crinkled fabric with a pebbled texture woven from a hand spun untreated or ‘in the gum’ silk yarn. fabric. Possibly handed down, the cuffs have been stitched later to fit the wearer.
It is worth noting that the name
badlah
Bādlah: (Hindi: badla, pl. bawādil), metallic thread adornment. Colloquially in the UAE, it refers to the embellished pant cuffs, also be pronounced (bedlah) from the verb to change, due to its value it was recycled from one garment to the other. for this type of embroidery is although the same across Iran and South Asia it is also sometimes commonly referred to as (
khus_dozi
Khūs_dozi: (Persian: Khus – Gold; Dozi – sewing or embroidery), any embroidery that is done with gold wire or thread. ) in south Iran.
It is believed that the term
badlah
Bādlah: (Hindi: badla, pl. bawādil), metallic thread adornment. Colloquially in the UAE, it refers to the embellished pant cuffs, also be pronounced (bedlah) from the verb to change, due to its value it was recycled from one garment to the other. is derived from the phrase ‘badal kinari’ – cloud lining – popular during the Mughal period in India as net or fine
gauze
Gauze: (English), very fine wire mesh transparent fabric of silk, linen, or cotton. silk were often embroidered with metal pieces giving them the look of clouds with bright lines around them.
However, upon crossing the Gulf and reaching the Arabian Peninsula the nomenclature of the embroidery changes to (
talli
Tallī: (Arabic: talā, or talā’: paint or to coat, Turkish: tel: wire, synonyms: asīūṭī, tur_bi_tallī/tulle_bi_talli
Tulle_bi_tallī: (English: tulle: netting, Arabic: talā, or talā’: paint or to coat, Turkish: tel: wire, synonyms: asūṭī, tallī, tur_bi_talli, mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish
Mukaish (Indian, synonyms: asūṭī, tallī, tur_bi_tallī/tulle_bi_talli, mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish, badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khūs_dozi: (Persian: Khus – Gold; Dozi – sewing or embroidery), any embroidery that is done with gold wire or thread. ). Indian embroidery technique where small rectangular strips of metal are squeezed shut around some threads of the fabric creating intricate shapes and designs., badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khūs_dozi: (Persian: Khus – Gold; Dozi – sewing or embroidery), any embroidery that is done with gold wire or thread. ). Cotton linen or synthetic mesh hand embellished with flat strips of metal alloys coated with silver or gold squeezed shut around some threads of fabric creating intricate shapes and designs., mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish
Mukaish (Indian, synonyms: asūṭī, tallī, tur_bi_tallī/tulle_bi_talli, mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish, badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khūs_dozi: (Persian: Khus – Gold; Dozi – sewing or embroidery), any embroidery that is done with gold wire or thread. ). Indian embroidery technique where small rectangular strips of metal are squeezed shut around some threads of the fabric creating intricate shapes and designs., badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khūs_dozi: (Persian: Khus – Gold; Dozi – sewing or embroidery), any embroidery that is done with gold wire or thread. ), metal alloys coated with silver or gold, to create either flat straws or coil threads applied on clothing in varying patterns./
tulle_bi_talli
Tulle_bi_tallī: (English: tulle: netting, Arabic: talā, or talā’: paint or to coat, Turkish: tel: wire, synonyms: asūṭī, tallī, tur_bi_talli, mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish
Mukaish (Indian, synonyms: asūṭī, tallī, tur_bi_tallī/tulle_bi_talli, mnaqad/mnaghad, mukaish, badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khūs_dozi: (Persian: Khus – Gold; Dozi – sewing or embroidery), any embroidery that is done with gold wire or thread. ). Indian embroidery technique where small rectangular strips of metal are squeezed shut around some threads of the fabric creating intricate shapes and designs., badla/badlah, fardi, khus_dozi
Khūs_dozi: (Persian: Khus – Gold; Dozi – sewing or embroidery), any embroidery that is done with gold wire or thread. ). Cotton linen or synthetic mesh hand embellished with flat strips of metal alloys coated with silver or gold squeezed shut around some threads of fabric creating intricate shapes and designs.), while the cuffs of women’s trousers which are detachable and could be changed are called
badlah
Bādlah: (Hindi: badla, pl. bawādil), metallic thread adornment. Colloquially in the UAE, it refers to the embellished pant cuffs, also be pronounced (bedlah) from the verb to change, due to its value it was recycled from one garment to the other..
With cross-cultural lineages running deep between the communities living on either side of the Gulf, it is thus no wonder, that material culture such as this has found firm grounds on both sides.
Although part of an ensemble in the collection, the sourcing of each item in the series has been done separately. However, traditional women’s costumes from the Fars province of Iran consisted of similar pieces put together.
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