Our Garden
108 x 175 cm, silk and cotton fabrics hand dyed with sumac berries, cotton thread, wooden dowel.
There is a tradition in the Levant, specifically in Palestine, where women from one family or community embroider and stitch together a wedding trousseau which the bride keeps her entire life. Each person that has contributed to the making of the trousseau leaves their mark for the bride to take with her throughout her new life, carrying memories and her matrilineal lineage with her.
Inspired by this tradition, this textile piece was produced by Hage in collaboration with eight co-creators from the local community over five workshops at Leighton House. Influenced by motifs in the Arab Hall and elsewhere throughout the House, the eight co-creators were asked to create a symbol in embroidery which had personal significance for them. The eight panels include references to flowers and trees, animals including snakes, birds and fish, Amazigh talismans and more. Co-producer Marwa El-Asri said that through her design she was “able to pay tribute to the beauty and symbolism of the Arab Hall while also honouring my heritage”. Together these embroidered panels create one talismanic object, imbued with each participant’s intentions.
The co-creators also took inspiration from the embroidery techniques used in two Turkish towels from the Leighton House collection on display alongside Kheit in the Drawing Room (see images below). Turkish towels were typically embroidered by women either at home or in professional workshops, and were often decorated with floral motifs, using silk thread as well as gold wire or flat gold strips to create different textures.
Artwork acquired by the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London UK.