Object History
In 2019 Sheikhah Hind bint Saqr bin Sultan Al Qassimi called upon Dr. Reem Tariq el Mutwalli to visit her at her palace in the Kelba creek (Khor Chelba), having read about The Zay Initiative through the regional press. United by their shared passion for culture and arts, the two ladies soon became friends. She gifted this article to Dr. Reem as a gesture of friendship and support to The Zay Initiative.
Sheikhah Hind bint Saqr bin Sultan Al Qassimi was born in 1957 in Khor Chelba of the emirate of Sharjah UAE. She finished her high school studies in Kelba and received her BS in Geography from Kuwait University in 1979. She founded the Kalba Girls Cultural Social and Sports Club in 1980 and has been its president ever since. She has been the President of the Teachers Association – Kalba Branch 1983 – 1985.
She is a known poet and author. She published her collections of poetry: Lofty Souls, in 1996.
Object Features
Though this overgarment (thawb) is a more recent example of the traditional UAE thawb, it aims to follow the basic traditional lines as they are interpreted at present times. Therefore, the outline of the main shape is accentuated by a central panel (bdinah) flanked by the wide opening sleeves (jinan). The sleeves each sport a diamond-shaped gazette (bat) in plain burgundy silk, and the back features a train or tail (thayil).
The burgundy red, gold metallic banarsi brocade (mzarai) fabric adorned in repetitive lines of large (10 cm diameter) and smaller (5 cm diameter) round gold brocaded medallions is denser and much stiffer than the net or light chiffon typically used for overgarments (athwab), rendering a more imposing and rigid thawb.
The neckline and central axis (bidhah) follow present interpretations of a wider more open neckline, to accentuate western-style jewellery, and an exaggerated central axis that extends all the way down midway between the knee and ankle. The base of this is densely machine embroidered (mkhawar) in metallic gold (zari) of arabesque motifs, accentuated in silver thread (zari) of simple leaf and flower motifs mirrored at the central line.
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