Object Note
This overgarment (Thawb_Nashil) is part of a three-part ensemble alongside the orange (Kandurah) tunic (ZI500128 OMAN) and the Omani underpants (Sarwal) (ZI 500128b OMAN).
Object History
On a winter’s day in 2015, Dr. Reem saw a group of female Omani performers at a function held at the desert winter camp of Sheikhah Hamdah bint Mohammed Al Nahyan, the maternal aunt to the late Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayid Al Nahyan. Dr. Reem was very taken by their dresses and ordered this three-piece ensemble from a woman who makes them in Oman, not thinking that one day they would form a part of the Zay’s Collection.
Object Features
The silk chiffon fabric of this Thawb is dotted with iron-on crystal beads made to look like dots of silver embroidery. It also features heavy embroidery around the circumference of the collar that continues down the chest area. The geometric and arabesque embroidery is completed in silver and gold on a white background. The zigzag lines are adorned with gold and silver iron on crystals.
This overgarment also features a long tassel, similar to those found on male tunic dresses Kandurah in Oman and the Emirates. It is made of gold and silver threads and is attached to the overgarment with a ball-shaped red button made of string.
The left sleeve features a heart shape embroidered with floral motifs, intertwined with leaves and curved lines following the outline of the heart. The embroidery is located at the end of the sleeve, both front and back, and extends to above the elbow.
Another notable feature is the white rectangular embroidered patch in the middle of the garment’s back. The rectangle is divided internally into cross-sections separated by lines of iron-on crystal beads in gold and black. These are followed by lines decorated with iron-on crystal squares, in groups of nine beads forming three small squares per line. The space immediately following that features an irregular wavy line. The small square and wavy line motif is repeated on successive panels. The final panel is comprised of a floral and arabesque geometric decoration. This is all framed in a white embroidered border in the form of a line, which forms the base of repeated triangles that are topped by small embroidered dots.
The Thawb has also the tassel (farokhah), such as that found in the men’s Kandurah, which is longer than the central axis, and was made of gold and silver threads, and it was attached to the garment with a ball button made of threads (Igmah) of red color.