Thobe Malakeh

NameDress

Artist Artist Not Recorded

Dateca. 1880

(not assigned)Historic Palestine, Middle East or West Asia, Asia

MediumLinen, silk, cotton, velveteen, metallic thread

Credit LineGift of Florence Dibell Bartlett

Object numberA.1955.86.924

Collections

Palestinian Dress and Jewelry

DescriptionThobe Malakeh (royal fabric) part of the Bethelhem thobe/dress types.

Old #3363 Thõb Malakeh (ca. 1880) Of royal fabric, this dress is of dark blue linen with deep red stripes of silk and linen. The middle stripe on the outer sleeve is dark red silk, bordered on each side by gold silk, and connected by Cretan stitching. On the outer sides of the gold stripes there are two dark red stripes of silk and linen. The appliqué over the silk stripes at the sleeve edge is embroidered in a multicolored fish-bone stitch (Ar., sabaleh). The points of the appliqué are topped with a cross stitch design. The qabbeh is of silk appliqué with embroidered cotton couching (rather than metallic) and silk filling. The yoke back is of red cotton, while the front is of purple velveteen. The diyāl has metallic thread. Neither the sawāʻid nor the benāyeq are embroidered. This dress was probably worn with a jacket similar to no. 2026 (A.1955.1.590 SW). Length: 143 cm. Width: 107 cm. (Palestinian Costume and Jewelry, Yedida Kalfon Stillman, 1979 ISBN: 0-82630490-7)