The traditional costumes of the Palestinian villagers and Bedouin are ofexceptional beauty and diversity especially the festive costumes of the womenwith their ... » 

The traditional costumes of the Palestinian villagers and Bedouin are ofexceptional beauty and diversity especially the festive costumes of the womenwith their lavish silk embroidery and patchwork and their dramatic headdressesencrusted with coins. This book surveys male and female fashions from the earlynineteenth century to the end of the twentieth and describes the main regionalstyles of costume their materials and ornamentation against the background ofPalestinian life and culture. The emphasis throughout the book is on the socialand symbolic significance of costume and the final chapters analyze in detailthe language of costume in the context of the wedding. The book is based onextensive field research the author has conducted at intervals since 1967 amongPalestinians in Israel the Occupied Territories and Jordan. The illustrationsinclude studio photographs of magnificent garments in museum collectionsarchive photographs from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries andrecent photographs of costumes still made and worn. «