Object Note
Part of a lot with an ensemble consisting of two more parts (ZI2018.500737 ASIA and ZI2018.500737a ASIA) and a cloak (ZI2018.500738 ASIA).
Object History
This 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 in 2018 to be added to The Zay initiative collection.
Apart from being a fashion designer Ms. Ebadi is a dedicated volunteer associated with The Zay 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 head scarf or veil (meyna) is made of red silk gauze or chiffon with metal embroidery commonly known as (badlah) throughout Iran as well as South Asia – India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Although a rectangular piece it has two rounded corners for the purpose of easy draping around the head and shoulders.
Three sides of the veil are finished with golden metallic thread (zari) trimmings – possibly in gold and silver – in five different layers horizontally. The outermost layer around the edge is adorned with golden and silver zari scallops sewn into the edge.
This is followed by an interlaced square crocheted pattern. Two strips of geometric badlah one over a thin red and the other over a broader purple base with wave patterns follow immediately after. This edging is topped with golden and silver zari crocheted lace trimming.
The narrower ends of the veil have four layers of border. Starting with the zari crocheted lace trimming at the inner end, it is followed by a wide trimming woven in golden zari and orange silk floss creating a repeat of diamond patterns. The final layer is a series of golden zari threads hanging loose from the edge in a fringe with golden sequins attached to it at the end.
Although (rusari) is the pan Iranian term for veils, diaphanous meyna like this are commonly worn with a collarless ceremonial shirt of silk brocade (jama_atlas / juma_atlas) or a long-sleeved tunic (pirhan) or the Qashqai (keynak) and a full or divided skirt (tombun_zanuna) and a pair of underdrawers (zirsawlar) by women of the Lori speaking ethnicity.
While the Lori community calls it the meyna and is usually paired with a hood (lačak) underneath it, the women of the Qashqai tribes – Turkic origin from the Zagros mountainous region – whose traditional dresses until c. the 1920s were heavily influenced and were almost similar to the population of southwest Iran – Fars, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, west Hormozgan, etc. –referred to their diaphanous veil as lačak or (čarqad) which they draped over a small skull cap called (kolaqča).
Although this ensemble has a very close resemblance to the wedding ensemble (ZI2018.500121 ASIA; ZI2018.500121a ASIA and ZI2018.500121b ASIA) from Evaz – also in 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 (tara_awwal) and a turban (tara) over their heads, the Bakhtiari and Boir-Ahmadi women of the south often drape their heads with a hood (lačak) and fine veil (meyna) over it.
It is worth noting that the name badlah for this type of embroidery is although the same across Iran and South Asia it is also sometimes commonly referred to as (khus_dozi) in south Iran.
It is believed that the term badlah is derived from the phrase ‘badal kinari’ – cloud lining – popular during the Mughal period in India as net or fine gauze 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 / tulle_bi_talli), while the cuffs of women’s trousers and shirts which are detachable and could be changed are called badlah.
Links
- https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/knotting-and-netting/badla
- https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xxiii
- https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-iranica-online/clothing
- https://iranparadise.com/irans-traditional-dress/
- https://www.fantasticirantravel.com/iranian-ethnic-costumes/
- https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xxvii
- https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-iranica-online/clothing
- https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xxviii
- https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/techniques/knotting-and-netting/badla
- https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/individual-textiles-and-textile-types/daily-and-general-garments-and-textiles
- https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/individual-textiles-and-textile-types/daily-and-general-garments-and-textiles
- https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xxiv
- https://www.fantasticirantravel.com/iranian-ethnic-costumes/
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