The art of embroidery has been practiced by women in the
Emirates for so long, no one can be quite sure when it began. The talli embroidery is a part of Emirati culture and
tradition. It's something that differentiates the UAE from other nations with
their own unique crafts. No one can tell exactly when and where the art of
talli was invented. Though, we know that Bedouins were the first people to use it. Talli embroidery was used to decorate the chest, cuffs and even the edges
of the pants of women’s
clothing. In some cases, silver or gold thread imported
from India was used. Women worked on
making talli together on the floor using a
stand with a cushion. By crossing and weaving the coloured
threads, they were
able to embroider intricate shapes and designs.
The kajojah is an old embroidery device used by women to
make various designs or talli on dresses. It is made from a pillow that is
supported by a metal base. There are gold and silver threads attached to the kajojah
with which the talli is made. In the past, the kajojah was mostly used by women
in their spare time.
In old ages, when men left for the pearl diving the women spare
their efforts and even neighbors for that matter. In past. Silver were used in
traditional Tally work. these days synthetic materials are more likely to be used.
In some family’s women used to embroider to make an income, however some mothers
simply made these designs for their daughters’ dresses.”
-
“Objects in the past were simple. The old artifacts had a
special value. They were very different to the ones we have nowadays. These days
artifacts are much easier to use and fancier than the old ones.
The skill has even inspired poetry. One well-known Arabic
verse runs:
"The one wearing the talli has captivated my heart.
With her long black hair flowing in the wind
In front of me she gracefully sways
A beauty playful and inviting.
Try as I may to describe her
No words could do my loved one justice.
The one wearing the talli has rendered me speechless."
Some common Talli designs include Fankh Al Bateekh (slice of
watermelon), which has parallel slanted shapes that evoke watermelon seeds
repeated down the centre of the textile. Sayer Yaay (coming and going) speaks
to the method used to create this hatch pattern, whereby a single silver thread
is passed back and forth.
Bu Khostain (double strand) is also a reference to the
technique used to weave this pattern, which creates a wide silver band running
down the centre of the textile. Only two dahary of synthetic silver thread are
used to make the pattern.
Bu Khosa (single strand) used only a single dahary to create
a silver band half the width of Bu Khostain down the centre of the textile.
Several bands of Talli textile can be sewn next
to each other on cuffs, hems or other borders to build striking designs
No comments:
Post a Comment