Threads of Identity: Preserving Palestinian Costume and Heritage

Book Trailer Threads of Identity: Preserving Palestinian Costume and Heritage
by Widad Kamel Kawar

This book is a record of the 50 years Widad Kawar spent researching, collecting and preserving part of the heritage of Palestine. This endeavor evolved into the Widad Kawar Collection, the largest to date of Palestinian, Jordanian and other Arab traditional dress and accessories, comprising more than 3000 items. In the following chapters she presents the story of how the collection evolved and she introduces the life stories of the women who produced the beautiful costumes it contains. For her, each item calls to mind an individual or a place: a wife, a mother, a daughter, a family, a house, a village, a town, a field, a market. Each item was worn on special occasions, happy and sad, that marked the owner’s life. Much of Widad’s knowledge stems from the personal narratives of these women whose embroidery and dress-making skills she so admires. With this book she pays homage to Palestinian women. To order your copy, visit www.RimalBooks.com

Credits: Music is by Rim Banna www.rimbanna.com , a wonderful Palestinian singer, lyricist and composer.