+ Description

Beit Dajan, an inland village, was well known to produce among the finest and most elaborate Palestinian embroidery. Orange groves were plentiful in Jaffa, Ramleh and Beit Dajan. The village women used to take the name of the motifs they embroider on their dresses from their surroundings, hence the name of the most important patterns that are typical of this area: "The Orange Blossom" which is sometimes called Rose buds "Irq El Nafnouf" in Arabic.

The stitches were perfectly embroidered close together using various shades of red, deep maroon and subsidiary colours such as fuchsia, orange, green and purple.

Silver cord couching embroidery was an influence of the Talhami stitch of Bethlehem. Learning embroidery in Beit Dajan was as essential as going to school. To execute their master pieces, the village women used to discuss their dresses when they visited each other, which in turn inspired beautiful and carefully chosen designs.

This chest panel illustrates cross stitch motifs by the name of the Cyprus Trees (Bald Trees), the Mountains, Earrings, Steps, Light House, Saw and Old Man's Teeth. Domes or Qubab & Waves (Mawj el Bahr) are produced using couching embroidery.

Najat's Artistic Technique: Pen work for cross stitch work, raised enamel for couching embroidery hand painted on porcelain.