Once a craft practiced by village women, "tatreez" has become a symbol of women's resistance, identity and heritage. -Fatima Abbadi
The Importance of Tatreez to the Palestinian Narrative
Palestinian tatreez or traditional embroidery has held varied roles in Palestine’s recent history. At first a hobby practiced by the women of villages, it has over the years gained prominence in the Palestinian resistance again Israeli occupation. Before the 1948 exodus tatreez played a societal role, indicating social class, creativity and discipline. The threads and fabrics used for the embroidery were tell-tale signs of a woman’s financial status. The incorporation of embroidery techniques from near (villages close by) and far (Istanbul and Syria) also told a story. The patterns depicted in the embroidery also narrated the day to day lives of the village women.
The women of Ramallah for example embroidered motifs representing the nature around them; cypresses, palm trees and feathers. The women of Gaza were fond of a large pendant (floral geometric) pattern which instantly identified their city. With Nablus being an important crossroad for trade, the traditional dress of the city famously bears no or little embroidery. The Nabulsi woman instead opting to show off the rare and luxurious foreign fabrics available to them. Some of the women of Jerusalem for example found it beneath them to cross stitch, thus purchasing ready-made embroidered panels from Bethlehemites and even the Ottomans to appliqué onto their dresses.
The amount of work on the traditional dress also became a symbol of prosperity, demonstrating the amount of free time a woman had to dedicate to her hobby. The cross-stitch and couching techniques used not only required time but also consistency and discipline. The threads needing to be pulled with the same tension each time to create a uniform pattern.
After the diaspora of 1948 what was once a favorite pastime took on much more serious role. As women found themselves fending for themselves attempting to support their families whilst the fathers, husbands and brothers were joining the resistance , Palestinian tatreez become a source of income. Over the years, as Palestinian people’s rights were encroached upon, the embroidery started to incorporate symbols of resistance which were otherwise banished, combining traditional motifs of tatreez with emblems of maps, flags and political slogans.
Tatreez itself became a peaceful symbol of Palestine. The embroidery which for the longest time was used as a form of adornment to Palestinian village women started popping up on menswear, pieces of furniture, handbags and even shoes for everyone and anyone keen on supporting the Palestinian cause or merely appreciating the handicraft. With this development came a westernization and modernization of the technique itself. The work which was originally painstakingly handmade, was introduced to the embroidery machine, and although the quality differs substantially and it is often looked down upon, it is only fair to acknowledge the positive impact the embroidery machine played. By reducing the cost and time of embroidered work, the greatest symbol of Palestine, tatreez became readily available at every budget, thus spreading the story of Palestine swiftly and poetically throughout the world.
Today the nation of Palestine is alive in every country of the world, the displacement of the Palestinians after the forced exodus in 1948 and 1967 sowed the seeds of the Palestinians as far a field as South America and even China. The next generations of the original Palestinian refugees, in the pursuit of their roots have adopted tatreez in their very own ways. Modernizing the colors associated with embroidery, in addition to incorporating cultural inferences from their adoptive cities as well, making for a very vibrant and culturally diverse narrative that speaks the truth of the Palestinian nation.. That ultimately everything changes but everything stays the same, the embroidery may change but the right of the Palestinian people’s return, firmly remains.
Resources on the Importance of Tatreez
