On Monday, March 14, 2022, Birzeit University Museum received a generous donation from Tania Nassir and Vera Tamari. The donated pieces are from their familial collection with items that date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. BZU Museum, along with Dr.Beshara Doumani, president of BZU, welcomed and received these donations with gratitude.
Included among these new pieces is a specular veil from the Hebron region, “Gudfah,” traditionally worn by women, which dates back to the late 19th century/ early 20th century. This “Gudfah” is more than two meters of unique embroidery and design. Also among the donations is a pale silk coat “Dimayah”, traditionally worn by men, from Damascus, which dates back to the early 20th century. The coat is exquisitely made in quilted designs, authenticated according to a stamp label on the inside of the sleeve as the work of Othman Badir and his partners. These donations are an addition to the Birzeit University Museum Textile Collection (Palestinian embroidered clothes and accessories), which holds nearly 400 pieces of rare and historic textile material that tell the story of Palestinian history and design. This rare collection contains pieces from as early as the mid-18th century and quite literally traces the history of Palestine and Palestinians through embroidery and design. The collection contains pieces from various geographic regions throughout Palestine and each piece is specific to its region and time period. They vary in types of embroidery, fabric, patterns; colors and each tell a story of a time and place that is both a cherished part of a Palestinian.