Palestinian~50s~Museum~MINT~Dress~Silk~Bedouin~S-M~ Start Price USD 350.00 Current Price USD 350.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, July 17, 2008 End Time Thursday, July 24, 2008 Location Maine See more about 'Palestinian~50s~Museum~MINT~Dress~Silk~Bedouin~S-M~' Description Circa 1950's. Rare near perfect condition!Authenticity Guaranteed by me; I'm an anthropologist with a degree from Harvard University. This is a beautiful museum rare piece from my collection of 30 years. Unusual orange embroidery depicting prey birds common to mountain Bedouins in the Jerusalem desert area where falcons were trained by the local bedouins. Thoba Habar, or Thoba Malas takes its name from the soft cloth which it is made. The fabric is a combination of silk and cotton usually dyed black and carries a nice sheen--also known as "Sateen" no synthetics!! if a Palestinian dress is synthetic, then know it's not authentic!. (sorry for some of the wrinkles) All handmade cross stitch hand embroidery. Condition is tribal perfect, never worn! (like new I could say!!--very well kept, never worn) There is one printed number on the crepe georgette sleeve: probably used from a UN/UNRWA supply sack; But the imperfections of the right sleeve are common; Note how the satin material on the right sleeve is sewn inside out! This is done on purpose so that the Bedouin woman who will wear this dress can fold the sleeve upward when she's working--as shown. When she's working in the market, she wants to protect the sleeve so she folds it up, but she also wants the shiny side of the satin to show, so the sleeve is sewn inside out! Just an anthropological insight from one who has lived with Bedouins! So in this dress, she used extra sateen material that shows a printed flaw, but doesn't show when she folds it as it is worn. (the sleeves are all crepe georgette) sateen is strong and luscious as is all the embroidery. The to last photo shows some speck of dust on the back bottom--that's not a flow--just a piece of dust that's NOT on the dress. Even all the hems are hand sewn and embroidered. No machine used here! Incredible embroidery which took many months to complete. Last 2 Pictures taken from a classical book about Palestinian Dresses depicting a similar dress. My pieces are authentic "Palestinian" dresses from Palestine. I come from there and have been collecting my whole life along with my mother; I dread seeing the knockoffs being sold now as "True Bedouin or Palestine Pieces" all throughout ebay which are simply modern, and made in Cairo to look like "Palestinian/Bedouin" (sometimes even using machines, paste ons, or crude embroidery or just made modernly today by Bedouins in Egypt--I haven't seen a single vintage true Palestinian dress on ebay in almost 4 years now). Many pieces nowadays claim to be Palestinian but are simply not. Many of my dresses were shown in museums in the 1980's. I'm considered a small collector of Palestinian dresses in this circle of collectors, but one of very few; so what you buy from me, is a museum piece! Size is Small Measures: 14 1/2" across shoulder. 38" across bust. 38" around waist. 50" hips. 57" from shoulder to hem. Shipping : calculate. Please view my Other auctions and store for rare Palestinian pieces from this collection. Please submit payment within 8 days of the end of auction. We will combine shipping for auctions ending within 6 days. Please note that insurance is optional but recommended and that seller will not be responsible for loss on uninusred items. We hold all personal checks for ten business days to clear. Please contact us for International shipping rates. All Sales are final unless item was grossly misrepresented; please contact us with any problems. Place a Bid!