Dress; Sequin

1930s

Middle East, Yemen, Hadramout

Description: Woman's ceremonial dress (abuthail or thawb) made of saffron yellow-orange silk. The dress is rectangular in shape with its back cut longer than its front. The square neck is embellished with bands of tightly embroidered silver threads and a silk green border. With brightly coloured silk appliqué work in star patterns and vertical bands on the front and back in orange, yellow, green and magenta embellished with multi-coloured sequins, silver and gilded sequins, red glass beads and small cowrie shells. The back and sleeves are more heavily worked in embroidery and appliqué than the front. The dress is lined in orange cotton chintz and the lining on the 'tail' at the back is a floral printed black and white cotton. Worn with a printed georgette silk headscarf.

Acquisition notes: Donated by: Leila Ingrams

Presented as part of a large collection of textile items from Yemen dating from the 1930s-2005. The item was presented to Doreen Ingrams by the ruling family of Hadramawt between 1934-1944.

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