Embroidered Womens Fabric, Derfudit Covering [Siwa Oasis]

€237,00

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Completely unique to Siwa Oasis. Derfudit shawls are always made of blue and white cotton and embroidered with nylon thread (traditionally silk). New versions are made today for sale to tourists. I however hunted high and low for the best authentic piece I could find. This striking textile is totally versatile and can be used on a bed, table or wall.

THE DETAILS

Vintage 20th century textile
Unique 1 of a kind handmade item
Item in good vintage condition (minor holes & pulled threads)
Fabric is woven cotton with silky nylon embroidery
Dry-clean only
Already washed for you
Single sided
Culturally significant (part of The British Museum collection)
Length- 198cm (78 inch's)
Width- 174cm (68.5 inch's)
Weight- 0.7kgs (1.5lbs)

This is vintage item in vintage condition. For her age she's looking pretty good but there are the expected holes, repairs and pulled threads. Please look closely at the attached photos before purchasing.

THE STORY
This type of shawl is a married-woman's modesty garment which is used uniquely in Siwa Oasis for women to cover themselves, when they leave the house. The cotton fabric is woven in Kerdassa, Egypt, far to the east near Giza, and then transported along the desert caravan route (now highway) to Siwa, where the embroidered decoration is added by women locally.

The first shawl is made for the bride by the women in the groom's family. The embroidered band is broad, approximately 10-15 cm wide and the embroidery is lavish. As time passes, the band grows narrower and the time spent doing the embroidery diminishes. Old women carry a band of only a couple of centimeters.

We'd love to hear from you if you have any questions.
*We do our very best to make sure colours are as close to real life as possible. Your computer may not. Silly machines.

Embroidered Womens Fabric, Derfudit Covering [Siwa Oasis]

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