This wonderful chestpiece (qabbeh) is on a 19th century Bethlehem dress in the British Museum collection. I am gradually investigating, informally cataloguing and experimenting with the tahriri border designs used on such dresses. Some of them are incorporated into my 'Borders' series of pieces.
A 6mm wide band (using pattern from BM As 1967 2.11)
A very simple 6mm band (from BM As 1966 1.1)
A 7mm wide band (using pattern from BM As 1966 1.15)
An 8mm band from the same dress as 18mm and 24mm bands below, on a Bethlehem dress in Hanan Munayyer's book 'Traditional Palestinian Costume'.
A 9mm band (pattern from BM As 1967 2.11)
An 11mm band (using pattern from BM As 1966, 1.14)
A 12mm band (using pattern from BM As 1967 2.11)
A 13mm band (pattern from BM As 1966 1.15)
A 15mm band (pattern from BM As 1966, 1.14)
A 15mm band from Im Bishara's dress in 'Threads of Identity' by Widad Kamel Kawar, p152
An 18mm band (pattern from BM As 1966 1.1)
An 18mm band from an early 20th century Bethlehem dress pictured in Hanan Munayyer's 'Traditional Palestinian Costume'
A 20mm band (pattern from BM As 1966 1.13)
A 24mm band, using a design from the same Bethlehem dress as the 18mm band above, pictured in Hanan Munayyer's 'Traditional Palestinian Costume'. Note symmetry of patttern, unusual in the ones I've seen so far.
A 25mm wide band (using pattern from BM As 1966, 1.14) which was a rather tricky one to draft and couch.
A 26mm band (pattern from BM As 1966 1.15)
Another 26mm band (pattern from BM As 1967 2.11)
A 28mm band (pattern also from BM As 1967 2.11)
A 38mm band (pattern from BM As 1967 2.12, border design on velvet jacket - taqsireh)
I am available to teach workshops on tahriri embroidery to interested groups. Contact me for details.
The Women's Child Care Society in Beit Jala, Palestine is maintaining the tradition of tahriri stitching, training local women to create pieces for the tourist market and providing income for women working from home. Click here to see a short video created by Christian Media Center about the work of WCCS.
Some of the work produced by WCCS, for cushions, runners and dresses. Below is Rihab, who trains the ladies in tahriri and one of her assistants, photographed during my visit in February 2018.