The Art Historical Timeline of Palestinian Embroidery

Class Type: Lecture

Difficulty Level: All Levels

Prerequisite: None

Average Completion Time: 15+ hours of recorded lectures.

Description: “The Art Historical Timeline of Palestinian Embroidery” is a six-module lecture-based course (approximately 15 hours) that synthesizes the latest scholarship in Palestinian textiles, art history, photography, and archaeology published in English, Arabic, German and French languages. Wafa shares her most current discoveries in cultural preservation, symbolism, and the art history of the Palestinian people. This lecture series establishes a concrete timeline that explores the traceable origins of the art form and charts the major political, social, and economic events that have shaped the evolution of Palestinian embroidery throughout the centuries.

CLASSES

This course is fully online, recorded, and available to anyone interested in learning about Palestinian art history. This is a self-guided course that allows students to watch recorded lectures at any time in their schedule. The purpose for annual or monthly subscription is to promote immediacy in completing the course. The research presented in these modules is peer-reviewed by a robust group of faculty and advisors in the field and shared with registered students.

Module 1: Traceable Origins of Traditional Palestinian Costume (2 hr)

This class introduces the earliest evidence of embroideries from around the world, establishing a complex amalgamation of cultural influences throughout the centuries that have influenced traditional Palestinian embroidery. We review and expand research about the traditional Palestinian headdress, as well as answer the questions: What is the oldest Palestinian thobe known today? How long have the indigenous inhabitants of the “Holy Land” stitched and worn Palestinian embroidery?

Module 2: English and European Holy Land Portraiture (2 hr)

English and European painters have traveled the “Holy Land” for centuries, seeking to document the life and image of Palestinian inhabitants as part of their religious pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Major artworks from the 13th century through the 19th century feature Islamic calligraphy, the traditional dress of Palestine, as well as portraits of women and men. Wafa has identified over a dozen paintings that feature Palestinian embroidery and traditional dress, deploying arguments from scholars such as Hanan Munayyer and Margarita Skinner, as well as furthering the analysis of Orientalism in the Holy Land.

Module 3: Photography of the Holy Land (2 hr)

Often, we reference the photographs of collections at the Library of Congress and The National Geographic in our discussion of Palestinian embroidery — but, how accurate are those images? Are the captions correct? Is the dress worn by the subject an accurate depiction of the clothing of the era? How reliable are photographic collections of the Holy Land and why?

Module 4: Regional Transformations, Distinctions, and Icons of the Modern Period (4 hr)

This class focuses on the regional variations in fabrics, threads, symbolism, and styles that exist across historic Palestine and delineating differences between Bedouin and Villager styles. Students will walk away from this class with a thorough understanding of regional differences, and how to identify a Southern Palestinian Bedouin dress from other Bedouin styles.

Module 5: Exile & Dispossession in the Late Modern Period (2 hr)

Much of the research in Palestinian embroidery tapers off after 1948, however, the evolution of tatreez thrives in the diasporic communities around the world. Through the many political, economic, and social developments of Palestinians in exile and under occupation, embroidery becomes a symbol of national unity and identity, while taking on new forms. In some cases, diaspora embroidery changes in style, and in others, adherence to tradition becomes monumental. Multiple movements in the preservation of Palestinian embroidery emerges in this time period that impacts the way we view and practice embroidery today.

Module 6: Resistance Tatreez, Embroidery of the Nakba, Intifada & Beyond (2 hr)

In this class, we discuss the many innovations of embroidery that were produced by Palestinian women during the First Intifada (1987-1993), as well as the post-Oslo Accords embroidery designs that are well known today. The contemporary period in Palestinian embroidery is marked by a duality of innovation and revivalism, ensuring resiliency of the art form for generations to come.

Testimonials