Donor: University of Oxford / Function: 5.3 Objects relating to the Secular and Quasi-religious Rites, Pageants, and Drama - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Donor University of Oxford Function 5.3 Objects relating to the Secular and Quasi-religious Rites, Pageants, and Drama

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 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