A PALESTINIAN SLEEVELESS INDIGO BLUE-DYED LINEN JILLAYEH COAT WITH KASSABA EMBROIDERY
Bethlehem or Jerusalem, Holy Land, circa 1880s - 1920s

A finely embroidered sleeveless linen coat, traditionally known as a jillayeh or durra, hand-dyed in deep indigo and richly ornamented with multicoloured silk floss embroidery in the characteristic kassaba stitch, worked in orange, red, green, yellow, blue, and magenta thread, the front panels and hem intricately decorated with stylised vegetal and floral motifs, the interior seams and openings embellished in red and saffron silk embroidery, the rear shoulder decorated with large palmette motifs, bordered throughout with geometric and foliate tatreez, worked on handwoven linen.

126cm long

This garment exemplifies the distinguished art of Palestinian embroidery of the late Ottoman period, known for its intricate couching techniques (kassaba or taqsireh) and vibrant silk work on dark ground fabrics. Such coats were typically worn as ceremonial or wedding garments by Palestinian Christian and Muslim women alike, often layered over other embroidered dresses (thob), and were regarded as markers of local identity, wealth, and marital status. Comparable jillayehs can be found in the British Museum's collection (As1968,04.31 and As1967,02.15).