The Tradition and Significance of Bedouin Embroidery
Together We Embroider a Better Future!
Secrets of the Dress: In the past, the folk art of Bedouin women reflected the traditions of their tribe. Each tribe had its unique style and patterns. All women’s dresses used large quantities of embroidery on both the front and the back. Originally dresses were made from cloth woven at home and dyed using natural colors. In the 1920’s women began buying thread and cloth in Beer Sheba and Gaza.
Bedouin women required many years to prepare their dowries before marriage. A typical dowry consisted of blankets, jewelry and embroidered items like pillows, veils, jackets and dresses for daily wear and special occasions. The cloth for dresses was cut on an angle to allow for freedom of body movement, with the addition of a square piece that was added to the central section of the dress. Large triangular sections were added for the sleeves. These long sleeves were used by women to carry small items, however today’s dresses no longer include long sleeves. Black was the favored color in most tribes, although some used dark blue.
The patterns were embroidered on the pieces of cloth before the dress was sewn together, a method used to this day. The square of cloth for the chest contains the richest most important embroidery. The squares at the lower back also contain dense embroidery when the dress is for special occasions. At Desert Embroidery we take the traditional patterns from dresses and adapt them for our stylish products.
Secrets of the Colors: In the past, the colors for the embroidery threads were prepared from natural dyes made from plants, insects, shells and more. Today there is a demand for bright colors that will not fade, so threads are not hand-dyed. Colors were used in a variety of ways and their significance was recognized among the different tribes. Red in every shade, including pink, was used by married women and represented love and happiness. Unmarried women incorporated purple and green in their embroidery. Widows chose shades of blue. White was rarely used because it gets dirty easily. Yellow was not popular because the color was associated with diseases like jaundice. Today there are few restrictions on the use of color and most women choose whatever they like.
Secrets of the Patterns: Bedouin embroidery patterns contain cultural significance for the embroiderers and their society. The popular cypress tree pattern symbolizes the tree of life. Trees and flower patterns are frequently used and signify growth and abundance. The wheat motif also symbolizes plenty. The camel pattern symbolizes patience and strength because the camel must walk for days in the desert without water.
Each woman chooses the patterns and colors for her dress according to her taste and mood. No two dresses are ever alike! In traditional Bedouin society, embroidery allowed women self-expression and added color and beauty above and beyond their daily chores.
Preserving the Embroidery Tradition
The art of embroidery is passed on by the women in the family to young girls. In previous generations before schools were established for Bedouin children in the Negev, mothers took advantage of their embroidery handiwork to teach their children the basics of arithmetic. For example, children helped their mothers pull out the threads from the cloth embroidery grid and counted them at the same time. Around the age of seven, girls would begin practicing embroidery on a piece of fabric. As their skills progressed, they began embroidering for their dowry with the help of the older women in the family. Girls became engaged at an early age and used part of the money paid by their future husband’s family to buy the materials for their dowry.
Nowadays, you can still see Bedouin women in the Negev wearing hand embroidered dresses. Women usually wear them for weddings and henna parties. However they also buy machine embroidered dresses to save time and money. A hand embroidered dress takes a long time to embroidery, often six months or longer!
About
The Association for the Improvement of Women’s Status in Lakia was the first recognized Bedouin non-profit organization in the Negev. The Association was founded by Bedouin women with the goal of empowering Bedouin women and children to attain equality through the improvement of their economic, educational and social status.