Object Note
This article was purchased in one lot with two similar tunic dresses (gallabiyah) (ZI2018.500241.1 EGYPT) & (ZI2018.500241.3 EGYPT).
Object History
Dr. Reem Tariq El Mutwalli spotted this tunic dress (gallabiyah) at an antique dealer and acquired it for The Zay collection. It is a contemporary example of (talli) fabric in metallic tinsel sold for tourists.
Object Features
This Egyptian tunic dress (gallabiyah) is a modern example of the wedding gallabiyah. It is made of ivory colour synthetic net-fabric (tur_bi_talli) and embellished with gold metallic tinsel (khus) or (talli). The wedding (gallabiyah) is a full cut, long sleeved robe, worn over a colourful underdress. The hue of the underdress would show from below.
The tunic dress (gallabiyah) is slim fitting and simplified in the front, back, and sleeves. The overall simple shape is derived by plainly folding a length of the fabric and cutting an opening at the centre of the fold to allow the head to pass through, creating the round fitted neckline and the central panel of the tunic to which two ruffled long sleeves are attached.
The essential motif for tur_bi_talli wedding gallabiyah is the amulet (hijab), the large diamond motif with a big flower motif in the centre on the centre front of the garment. In some dresses, the neckline is cut quite high, and the (hijab) appears over the heart. Lines of stitches (darz) reach down from the neckline, mimicking the form of a necklace supporting a stylized amulet. The sleeves are hemmed with floral motifs that is also used to embellish the hemline. The remaining area is embellished with horizontal registers of geometric and floral motifs including cross (farizat_salib), flower, star (nujum), and plotted flower (qasari) motifs.
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