Ramallah 2

Last one! The close-ups are clear enough to copy or adapt, and if you feel inspired but are no good without graph paper, you will really enjoy the Palestinian embroidery site I mentioned earlier. There are borders of checks, teeth, feathers, flowers and vines, and the large-scale border designs of birds and flowers similar to the one on in the other Ramallah entry.


The trellis centre left is 'eastern one'. Then come two symmetrical rows of 'saw', and then 'stick' (There are also wider stick borders.)

I like the combination of chequered triangles and variations on cypress tree.


The multicolour star is 'millwheel' with a toothed border.


This last photo is a close-up of the ghudfeh you can see hanging (upside down, I think) on the far right of the first pic.
A ghudfeh is a rectangular head-shawl made of three narrow woven strips sewn together.
Here is saru again, and this enchanting silver grey flower border with each flower head similar to riish. I don't know what they call the other motif, but as long as it's upside down, I'm calling it 'lampshade'.

The reason I took so many photos in Amman's fascinating National Folklore Museum is that I haven't seen any books on Palestinian costume here, although there are plenty of thobs and shawls to choose from, as well as lusciously embroidered Kashmiri jackets, coats and pashminas. Ooh! I bought Jehan Rajab's book at the Museum, and Shelagh Weir's has been republished - look out for them for the cultural background and stories as well as the pics.

I'm putting these pics up partly because they are too beautiful to be hidden away, and partly as a record of a part of Palestinian culture, something precious that is overlooked nowadays. It is under extreme pressure, and no doubt much has been irrevocably lost, except among the diaspora.