Silver embellished overgarment - UAE

Object History 
This owner of this 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.  ) was the late Inayah bint Salih al Muhairi, 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. Hilal, the wife of the late Al Said Abdullah al Hashmi, the Director of Private Affairs for the founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan.
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.   was made for her by a renowned tailor in Dubai at that time called Khalifah, one of the first tailors to open shop in Dubai.
Inayah’s was known for reciting poetry orally but was also skilled in (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.) and (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.) making. Growing up in the 1950s she became part of the entourage of the family of Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan al Nahyan’s daughter, Sheikhah Mozah. She then became a close confidant and part of the entourage of Sheikhah Fatimah bint Mubarak, wife of the founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan.
On Inayah’s death in 2013, 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.   was inherited by her niece and daughter-in-law, the Emirati poet Fatimah al Hashmi. She donated the garment 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 her maternal aunt Inayah.
Fatima al Hashmi, is a close friend 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. and an avid supporter of The Zay Zay: (Arabic: costume, Pl. azyaā’), a set of clothes in a style typical of a particular country or historical period. Initiative. Fatima attained a high school degree and is a wife to her maternal cousin, and mother to a son and daughter. She was one of the UAE female poets of the eighties, who began publishing her poems and literary writings under various pseudonyms, such as Abu Dhabi Nights, 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. Khaled Nights, Wanat Alam or Layali. However, in her most recent four publications in 2019 and 2020, she opted to use her full name.
 
Object Features
This 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.  ) is made from pink Point d'Esprit tulle (tur Tūr: (Arabised from French: tulle), refers to a net-like soft, fine silk, cotton, or nylon material, used for making veils and dresses. In colloquial Arabic the letter (L) is turned into (ra). ), a woven dot motif, locally known as (bu_nafah Bū_nafah: (Arabic, bū: diminutive of abū: father, nafah: bethir: seeds, synonyms: bū_nūnah, naf_al _matar), a term colloquially used in the Arab Gulf region to identify mainly point d’Esprit tulle; shear net, adorned in small seed or pin like dots woven into the fabric. Used particularly for veils (shiyal) and overgarments (athwāb).) or (bu_nunah Bū_nūnah: (Arabic: bū: diminutive of abū: father, nūnah: naqdah Naqdah: (Arabic: coins, synonyms: mnaghadah, naghdah, mnaghadah) Since silver was a form of currency, it came to refer to silver adorned garments. The term refers to articles decorated with silver (tallī) straw (khūs) in small coin-like dots. The (qāf) is pronounced (gha) colloquially., or nuqṭah: point or dot, synonyms: bū_nafah, naf_al _ maṭar), term colloquially used in the Arab Gulf region to identify mainly point d’Esprit tulle; shear net, adorned in small seed or pin like dots woven into the fabric. Used particularly for veils (shiyal) and overgarments (athwāb). ), where small nicks in the weave of the fabric result in raised and textured dots.
The silver embroidery (khwar_tulah) decorating the neckline and central axis (bidhah Bidḥah:  (Arabic: qata'a or shaqqa: to cut or split). In Emirati dialect, the term refers to the chest area of a garment generally decorated in embroidery or other embellishments.) is called (jal’) or (tarchibah Tarchībah: (Arabic: tarkībah: to fix or add on). In the UAE the term refers to ready-made silver embroidered dress parts, mainly the neckline (ḥalj) or sleeve cuffs (ḥyūl) on garments, imported from India before the 1970s. Because of its high value, it was transferred from a garment to another (jal’), or its silver was melted and sold when needed. The letter (kāf) in some Arabic regions is colloquially pronounced (cha). The term is also more widely used elsewhere to refer to any added applications such as ruffles or belts.), as it is often removed from old garments and reattached to new ones. The silver base is decorated in red silk (brisam Brīsam: (Persian: Aabrēšam, Syriac: Aprišum ‘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., English: prism). Generally, refers to the finest form of silk thread. Also pronounced (ibrīsam).) in a prominent cross motifs thus it is called (bu_slib Bū_slīb: (Arabic, bū: father, slīb: salīb: cross), the term is used colloquially in the UAE to identify overgarments (athwāb) adorned on the neckline (halj) and central axis (bidhah), in cross-shaped red silk thread (brīsam) on a dense base of silver coil machine embroidery (khwār_tūlah). The adornment was highly prized due to its silver content. It was imported, in general, ready-made from India and recycled from one garment to the other (tarchībah). Such athwāb were very popular from the early 1950’s up to the 1970s.), a style popular in the Emirates from the 1950s to the 1970s.
This garment is similar in design to one that features in a photo by the Magnum photographer Eve Arnold, taken at a wedding celebration for Al Maktoum ruling family in 1972. The similarities attest to the popularity of the style and its usage among the elite of the tribe at that period.
The garment was never used and was stored exceptionally well. It is customary for women to order a number of the same fabric or outfit at one go for safe keeping to gift or use when needed. studying the overall shape confirms its old age for the tailoring is very naïve. The fabric is simply folded to create the square shape inclusive of the right sleeve, while the left sleeve is added by attaching a panel composed of a number of smaller panels from the surplus of the same fabric. Resulting in unbalanced crude stitching lines on one side of the garment and not the other. The fabric also appears to have dark and lighter horizontal lines where the colour appears to have faded where the fabric was folded.
This garment represents a physical example of the traditional Arabic saying (zinah_wa_khazinah Zīnah_wa_khazīnah: (Arabic: zīnah: beauty, khazīnah: treasury), an Arab saying meaning ‘beauty and wealth in one.’ In nomadic cultures wealth was portable and jewellery and precious garments were made not only as wearable works of art and status but also as a practical method of guarding and securing precious assets by keeping them close to their owners. Similar phrases are common around the Arab world, for example in North African Arab countries such as Libya they say: al hadīd_lil_shadīd.), meaning ‘beauty and wealth in one.’ The silver was employed to demonstrate style and reflect social status, but could also be melted down and sold in times of need.