pb_lc_bwo_c18980000-0016aa.tiff (23.9 MB)
Married woman from Bethlehem wearing shatweh, c. 1898-1946
figure
posted on 2019-05-31, 07:58 authored by Freja Howat-Maxted, Leila Sansour, Jacob NorrisJacob NorrisThis is a digital reproduction of an image held within the Library of Congress.
The image depicts a married woman wearing traditional garments of Bethlehem. Bethlehem was one of the most famous centres for embroidery in Palestine, with its dresses produced in linen and silk. The short jacket (taqsireh) worn over a long sleeved, heavily embroidered dress with a chest panel is customary to the area. The use of the cone-shaped headdress known as a 'shatweh' was worn by married women in Bethlehem and covered with rows of coins, beads and coral, to display family wealth.
This image is part of the Bethlehem Women collection within the Planet Bethlehem Archive.