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Start Over Media available image Donor University of Oxford
Hearst Museum object titled Bag, accession number 9-14884, described as Bag (mazwadah); flour bag in dark and medium brown and white hair and wool in warp face technique; two big loops at each side on top and two plaited cords in same colors and materials. Materials: camel hair, goat hair, sheep wool. Length, not including loops: 66cm. Width: 54cm. Sprayed with DDT in alcohol (10/1978). Context: for keeping flour in when not at home e.g. when a man is travelling by camel, or when a woman is away with goats and sheep. At home, flour is kept in a sack. The four big loops (2 on each side) are for typing the bad e.g. to a camel saddle when travelling. The two threads at the mouth are for closing the opening tightly. This is done by bending it into an S shape first. Used by men and women, made by women. Cost 70USD
Hearst Museum object titled Bowl, accession number 9-14885, described as Bowl (gdah - pl. gdahih), carved wood; oblong; handle at one end, pouring spout at other; aluminium and copper reinforcing on rim and underside attached with copper and aluminium nails; Food residue on interior. Made of iθil wood (a kind of tamarisk) Length at top: 37cm. Fumigated and treated with DDT in alcohol (10.1978) Context: bowl for making dough. Also container for gmas, i.e. whatever food one dips one's bread into, or for fattih, i.e. bread crumbled and made into a kind of porridge with some other substance, such as milk. Used when preparing and eating food. Now entirely obsolete, having been replaced by enamelled bowls. This was apparently a standard piece of equipment, which pretty well every family would have had. There were also larger and smaller wooden vessels, which had special names. Cost: 20USD
Hearst Museum object titled Dagger and sheath, accession number 9-14670a,b, described as Dagger and sheath; (a) dagger: blade (steel) has standing camel engraved on one side, maade from old car spring; haft of mt. goat horn bound in copper and brass; 1: 29.1cm; (b) sheath: silver-colored metal with curvilinear punctate designs on one side, loop for belt soldered on back side 18.5cm. Innumerable uses: anything from stabbing people to cutting ropes or opening tin cans. Used by men. Every man wears one at all times. Salim, the maker, is one of the two men in the tribe who are expert knife makers. He is also "internationally famous as a scultptor." Camel on blade is "alas, highly uyntypical feature of the knife was added for my benefit.Otherwise the dagger is just like any other good quality dagger made by Salim for a Bedouin customer." Cost in US dollars: $35. Conservation: treated w/ DDT in alcohol May 1978.
Hearst Museum object titled Dress, accession number 9-14881, described as Dress (θawb-dass-- dress that is stored away). Long black cotton dress made possibly of silk. Geometric crossstitched embroidery at hem and lower side panels in fuchsia, dark red, and orange; yoke of red and orange cotton; work; encircling blue band at bottom hemline. L: 1.56M. Sprayed with DDT in alcohol (10/1978) Context: worn by women on special occasions e.g. when guest at wedding, on visit to saint's tomb, when guest at boy's circumcision, e.g. Made by women for their own use. Cost US: $50. The materials are bought from the town of el-'Arish. Women cut, sew, and embroider the dress. Women's everyday dresses are either plain or machine embroidered in el-'Arish. Many, though not all, women also have a hand-embroidered dress like this one for special occasions. The style of the embroidery is different from the machine-embroidered ones. A married woman's dress is predominantly red (like this one); an unmarried woman's dress is predominantly blue.
Hearst Museum object titled Headband, accession number 9-14887, described as Headband (maririh); dark brown tubular band of sheep's wool in complex plaiting form which is suspended at both ends several series of tassel in 2-ply yarn dyed dark red, orange, and green; tassels embellished with white shells (genus: Arato from the Red Sea Area) and white glass seed beads; Length: 2.32M. Treated with DDT in alcohol (10/78). Context: made by women for their own use. The black "rope" is placed around the forehead, underneath the black head covering (gun'ih), and the tassels hand down behind. Because of the head-covering, the "rope" is not visible, only the colored tassels. Used on special occasions, like the hand-embroidered dress (9-14881). The sheep's wool is spun by the owner and dyed in el-'Arish. The white beads and shells are bought in el-'Arish. Cost 30USD.
Hearst Museum object titled Saddleband, accession number 9-14883, described as Saddleband (gurdah - pl. gurad); dark brown goat hair band in complex plaiting with three large self tassels at each end; above the tassels are soumac panels with geometric designs in red, rust, black, blue, and green separated by two-color yarn (dyed sheep wool) fringe Length: 1.49M Sprayed with DDT in alcohol (10/1978) Context: Straps for holding camel saddle in place. Made by women of the tribe, used by men. Cost 75USD
Hearst Museum object titled Sash, accession number 9-14882, described as Hip ornament (sarasib); tassels in red and orange 2-ply wool suspended from wool-wrapped cords in red, blue, and white; 3-ply white wool band looped through the wrapped cords at top; Material: dyed sheep wool plied and wrapped; handspun; Length: 1.57cm. Sprayed with DDT in alcohol (10/1978) Context: Tassels worn by women at waist on special occasions. They are suspended from a kind of belt, and hand down on either side of the hip. Spun and woven for their own use, then taken to el-'Arish. Cost US: $15
Hearst Museum object titled Satchel, accession number 9-13498, described as satchel; woven wool satchel with white, brown and black vertical strupes; white tumpline attached to loops at top of satchel; Women’s bag for carrying small objects. Used when herding sheep and goats. Normally made by the user. Not usually for sale.
Hearst Museum object titled Spice sample, accession number 9-13499, described as spice sample; peanut-shaped, tan in color; mixed with vinegar, water, etc. to flavor food. Locally grown. Found inside 9-13498

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