“A village woman reads her patterns like a story. She is proud of them and the perfection of their execution on her costume. For her, the costume is her 'passport,' a bearer of her identity." - Widad Kamel Kawar
Palestine was under Byzantine rule from 390 until Muslim armies conquered it in 640. During this time of overwhelming Greek and Byzantine influence, Christian churches and pilgrims introduced gold-thread embroidery to the region, a characteristic that continues to be displayed in regional costume. During the Islamic period, the geometric designs commonly found in architecture found their way into the geometric embroidery patterns seen on Palestinian costumes. The motif of the feather can be found in archaeological remains from the Islamic period. The Crusaders' capture of Palestine in the 12th century also influenced certain aspects of costume, such as the Bethlehem headdress, which can be traced to the French pointed hat and veil commonly seen in the courts of France at the time. Some embroidery patterns date back to the Canaanite period. Each Palestinian dress is cut in the same A-line style, similar to what was called in antiquity the "Syrian tunic." Unlike European dress, where styles changed constantly even within a single era, the Palestinian cut has remained constant for at least a thousand years.
COURTESY OF THE ART OF PALESTINIAN EMBROIDERY BY LEILA EL KHALIDI, 1999
The motifs in Palestinian embroidery often have symbolic names related to everyday beliefs and events, and nature provides a rich source of inspiration. Flora-related motifs include moon, stars, trees, and flowers, while others have names derived from everyday life, such as "roads" and "old man's teeth." In Jaffa, orange blossoms and orange tree branches are popular symbols, representing the town's famous orange groves. In Hebron, four soaps in a dish or four flowerpots are commonly used motifs. Embroidery patterns also reflect magic and superstition, with some designs representing amulets.
While each Palestinian village has its own specific pattern and style, cultural exchange between villages and other regions, through marriage or travel, creates new motifs and styles that deviate from traditional patterns. For example, the motif of the Bethlehem stars may become a moon in Ramallah or a rose in Gaza. Cypress trees are a common motif throughout the region, but each village has its own variation in form, shape, and design.