Description
Star motifs adorn the chest of this elaborate jellaya, or Palestinian overcoat dress, evoking a night sky aglow with brilliant lights. Lower down, palm-tree motifs, flowing zigzags of water, and trees of life create a rich, earthy tableau in hues of purple, yellow, green, and reddish rust. The skirt is covered in intricate, labor-intensive cross-stitch embroidery known as tatreez, and the specific patterns are hallmarks of garments made and worn in the Ramallah region of Palestine in the mid-to late 19th century.
Provenance
Overcoat Dress (Jellaya)
Mid- late 19th century
Accession Number
59607
Medium
Linen; silk embroidery
Dimensions
134 × 120.1 cm (52 3/4 × 47 1/4 in.); Center neck to bottom hem: H.: 132.1 cm (52 in.); Collar to wrist, proper right: W.: 52.1 cm (20 1/2 in.); Collar to wrist, proper left: W.: 55.3 cm (21 3/4 in.); Shoulder seam to shoulder seam: W.: 75.6 cm (29 3/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Credit Line
Bequest of George F. Porter