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TRADITIONAL PALESTINIAN EMBROIDERY PATTERNS

Traditional patterns used in Palestinian embroidery are designs of geometric shapes, but also include designs which were most familiar to Palestinian women as impressions of their daily surroundings. These patterns symbolize good health, hope, prosperity and protection, among other attributes of positive beliefs.  Depending on the region in Palestine, the patterns included representations of cypress tree, bunches of grapes, apple tree, cauliflower, cock, pigeon, rainbow, roses, birds of paradise, flower pot and extensive other such representations. Geometric designs were given such names as 'foreign moon', 'cow's eye', 'mill wheel', 'crab' , 'moon with feathers', 'old man's teeth', 'bachelor's cushion', 'the baker's wife', 'old man upside down' and other such creative and often humorous names.  The pictures shown here include most of the traditional patterns:

MOONS AND ROSES

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    1- Moon of Bethlehem

     2-  Crab

     3- Mill Wheel

 

 

 

     4-  Moon of Ramallah

     5-  Damask Rose

     6-  Foreign Moon

 

 

     7-  'Garden' Rose, or Rose in Bud

     8-  Cow's Eye

     9-   Wide Open Eye

   10-  Moon with Feathers

 

 

 

    11- The Snake and the Serpent

 

 

 

 

TREES

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       1-  Hawthorn

        2-  Cypress

        3-  Bunches of Grape

        4-  The Tall Palms

        5-  Tree with Lions

        6-  The Apple Tree

        7-  The False Tree

        8-  The True Tree

        9-  The Tree of the Scorpions

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE FLOWER POT AND THE KOHL BOTTLE

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   1-  Cauliflower

   2-  Key of Hebron

   3-  Cock

   4-  Kohl Bottle

   5-  Four Eggs in a Pan

   6-  Ladder

   7-  Pigeon

   8-  Rainbow

   9-  Foreign Rainbow - Arch

  10-  Flower Pot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  THE SWANS AND OTHER MOTIFS

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  1- Lilies

  2- Roses and Birds

  3- The Pool or Harp

  4- Border of the Hand

  5- The Duck's; The Geese; The Swans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BROAD BORDERS

plate5.jpg (336841 bytes)1- Wide Open Eye

   2-  The Crowns

   3-  The Muscles (Dragon Fly)

   4-5- Snowflake Borders

   6-  Turning Round

   7- The Bald Palms

   8- The Necktie

   9- Snowflakes

  10- Snails

  11- Feathers

  12- Chick Peas & Raisins

  13- Chick Peas & Raisins

  14- Chick Peas & Raisins

  15- Chick Peas & Raisins

  16- The Road of Egypt

   17- Thirteen

   18- The Frogs in a Pond

   19-  Heart (or Locket)

   20-  Single Spear

    21-   The Pretty Carnation

                                                                                                                                                   22-   Double Spears

                                                                                      

NARROW BORDERS

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      1-  Old Man's Teeth

      2-  Old Man's Teeth

      3-  Stick

      4-  Stick

      5-  Saw

      6-  Saw

      7-  Stick

      8-  Bachelor's Cushion

      9-  Carnations

    10-  Carnations

    11-  Carnations

    12-  Saw

    13-  Eastern One

    14-  Pegtops

    15-  The Baker's Wife

    16- Saw and Old Man's Teeth

    17-  Zigzag

    18-  Little Ears of Corn

    19-  Little Ears of Corn

20-  The Bakers' Wife    21-  Cockscomb       22-  Old Man Upside Down    23-  Apples      24-  Snail

25-  Chicken's Feet        26-  Zigzag             27-   Watermelons                   28-   Flowers    29-  Flower Pot

30-  Name not Known   31-  The Baker's Wife    32-   Pattern of the Heart            33-  Zigzag

 

© 2000 Prepared by HBL - All Rights Reserved

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