Tatreez: The Ancient Art of Palestinian Embroidery | Fashion Unpicked
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
This video is made to coincide with the exhibition 'Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine' at V&A Dundee which runs until Spring 2026, and the 'Tatreez: Palestinian Embroidery' display at V&A South Kensington until May 2026, curated by Jameel Curator Rachel Dedman. The exhibition and display are free to visit.
The ancient practice of hand-embroidery – called tatreez in Arabic – is a craft dating back centuries. Join Rachel as she unpacks six incredible examples of historic Palestinian dress, from a silk patchwork jellayeh (coat-dress), to a taqsireh jacket made for a wedding ceremony, and a shatweh headdress laden with coins. Exploring the significance of colour, cut, motif and stitch, Rachel reveals how each garment has its own distinct regional style. Embroidery in Palestine is a language as much as a craft, so these unique textiles reflect the life stories of the women who made and wore them.
00:00 What is tatreez?
01:23 Indigo-dyed linen and silk patchwork jellayeh (coat dress) from the Galilee
03:47 Hand-woven linen thobe (dress) from Bethlehem with bands of coloured silk
06:25 Putting the thobe on a mannequin: cut and construction
07:04 Taqsireh wedding jacket from Bethlehem with gold couching
08:56 Coin-embellished shatweh headdress from Bethlehem
09:59 Ramallah veil: fusing European and Palestinian embroidery motifs
13:37 Signs of grief: Bedouin dress with prickly pear motif and blue embroidered skirt
15:24 Jellayeh from Southern Palestine with signs of adaptation and re-use
18:41 Embroidery as a symbol of identity
With thanks to The Palestinian Museum.
You can see the Galilean jellayeh, Bedouin dress and Bethlehem thobe on display at V&A Dundee in our 'Thread Memory' exhibition, which is made in partnership with the Palestinian Museum: https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/...
Visit the Jameel Gallery at V&A South Kensington to see the taqsireh jacket, shatweh headdress, and Southern Coast jellayeh alongside two contemporary works of tatreez: https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/qrVX6GzB7...