Object NotePart of a lot with an ensemble consisting of two more parts (
ZI2018.500737a ASIA and
ZI2018.500737b ASIA) and a cloak (
ZI2018.500738 ASIA).
Object HistoryThis object was sourced with the help of fashion designer Homeira Ebadi from the Fishvar city of Larestan county of Fars Province in southwest 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 purple silk women’s traditional tunic dress (pirhan) of (
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.) weave from Fishvar city of Fars province, Iran. 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 underdrawers (
zirsawlar
) by Lori-speaking ethnic women of Iran including the women of the Lor, Bakhtiari, and Boir-Ahmadi tribes.
It is also very similar to the traditional (
keynak
Keynak: (Turkmen: Koynek – Women’s loose ankle length tunic), a traditional collarless shirt for men and tunic dress for women of the Turkic speaking Qashqai tribe in Iran. ) worn by the women of the Turkic Qashqai tribe of the Zagros mountainous region whose traditional costumes were very similar and were heavily influenced by the population of southwest Iran.
This pirhan features repeats of two different floral motifs – a star-shaped flower and a long floral arrangement that looks like a bird in flight and a polka dot-sized circular ball motif embroidered in (
blanket_stitch
Blanket_stitch: A basic sewing stitch used to secure the edges of fabric or create decorative borders by looping the thread over the edges of blankets, quilts, and other fabrics and pulling it through, forming a series of evenly spaced stitches that resemble a chain. ) and (buttonhole) styles with silk
floss
Floss: (Old French: flosche – nap of velvet), is a type of silk fibre obtained from the cocoons of wild silkworms. It is characterized by its long, fluffy fibers that are not tightly woven, making it ideal for use in various textile applications such as embroidery, lace-making, and sewing. threads of different colours – ivory and two different shades of blue. It is a popular motif on garments across the Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula, where it is known by (
bu_tayrah
Bū_ṭayrah: (Arabic, bū: diminutive of abū: father, ṭayr: bird). The term is used in the UAE to refer to a Chinese silk fabric, embroidered in floral motifs resembling birds in flight. It’s a sheer light format used for overgarments (athwāb), while the opaque satin silk is used for tunics (kanādīr) and the lower more visible parts of underpants (sarāwīl).) in the colloquial UAE dialect.
The hemline and the cuffs are embellished with metal foil (
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.) and metallic thread (
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 trimmings in golden and silver colour. The hemline and the cuffs are lined with a thinner plain pink silk fabric of
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. weave. The dress has a round neck with snap button fastening. The sides have long slits for ease of movement and are hemmed with a thin strip of
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. and silver coloured possibly plastic tinsel thread in (
couching
Couching: (Latin: collocare – Place together), in needlework and embroidery couching is a technique in which yarn or other materials are laid across the surface of the ground fabric and fastened in place with small stitches of the same or a different yarn
) style.
While 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 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 and shirts 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 this ensemble has a very close resemblance to the ceremonial ensemble (
ZI2018.500121 ASIA;
ZI2018.500121a ASIA;
ZI2018.500121b ASIA) also from Fars province, Iran rife with Lori-speaking tribes – it is worth noting that this ensemble is a traditional garment for regular wear. While the northern Lori women would be seen wearing a
scarf
Scarf: (English), usually a rectangular piece of cloth loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. (
tara_awwal
Tarā_awwal: (Arabic: awwal – first); a scarf traditionally worn by the Lori speaking ethnic women before wrapping their traditional turban – tara. ) and a turban (
tara
Tarā: A kind of turban traditionally worn by Lori speaking ethnic women over their scarves. ) over their heads, the Bakhtiari and Boir-Ahmadi women of the south often drape their heads with a hood (
lačak
) and fine veil (
meyna
Meynā: (Synonym: rusari
Rūsarī: (Synonym: meyna, Qashqai – lačak
), a pan Iranian term for headscarves or veils worn by women in Iran. It is also used sometimes to loosely refer a chador
Chādor: (Persian: a tent), a long cloak like body cover similar to the (Abayah), traditionally worn by southern Iranian women of Hormozgan. Similar to the Afghan chadri, however these do not have a netted veil covering the face of the wearer. or hijab too. , Qashqai – lačak
, čarqad), a kind of head scarf or veil worn by Bakhtiari and Boir-Ahmadi women of the Lori speaking ethnicity in Iran. It is draped over the head and pinned under the chin without covering their faces. ) over it.
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