Book Review by Christina Lindholm

REVIEW of MIDDLE EAST STUDIES 
Volume 46 No. I Summer 2012
Christina Lindholm 
Virginia Commonwealth University


Bedouin Weaving of Saudi Arabia and its Neighbors is an important contribution to the documentation, understanding and appreciation of the material culture of nomadic tribal communities in the Arabian Peninsula. Joy Totah Hilden has undertaken an exhaustive study of the weaving and using of the tent and other household objects made by Bedouin women. Much of her research is based on a dozen years of fieldwork, however she presents a thorough scholarly basis and builds upon the work of other noted Arab specialists such as Abu Lughod, Dickson, Doughty and Weir.
     Background information on Bedouin lifestyle is essential to understanding the importance of the woven objects. When compared to other communities, relatively little has been written that realistically presents the particulars of the Arabian nomadic life. Hilden relates that in pre-Islamic times the term 'Arab' "seemed to denote tribally organized, tent-dwelling camel nomads, noted for their warlike qualities and their emphasis on kinship" (p. 19). This succinctly describes the people now known as Bedouin. Hilden explains that "Paramount values in the society are pride of lineage, honor, family and tribal solidarity, generosity and open-handedness, and fierce independence" (p. 19). Hospitality is also of prime importance and Hilden's book details how the weavings are used to provide shelter, comfort and a welcoming atmosphere as well as communicating important information through the symbols used in the weavings.
     Chapter 3 discusses the various areas where Bedouin weavers are found and details Hilden's personal interactions with many of them. These intimate portrayals of home visits, weaving stories and personal interactions are a rare and wonderful aspect of this book and open a window onto a seldom seen world. Hilden presents fascinating details on the Bedouin women's place in their society. Unlike their sisters, she says, who are settled and reside in towns and cities, they have a large degree of freedom and play a vital role in their tribe. Women's weavings are essential to the Bedouin lifestyle and are a matter of pride for the family as visible evidence of skill. It is a medium both useful and beautiful. Unfortunately, many of these skills and knowledge of traditional methods is disappearing as the nomads settle into permanent communities. Hilden recounts that natural dyes and fibers are being replaced with more easily available and easier care synthetics, or mass manufactured mats and cushions.


     Hilden's book finely details the history of Bedouin weaving which is a task in itself as many of the tribes speak their own colloquial language. Her particular expertise in both craft textiles and Arabic, and the fact that she is female provided unique access to Bedouin women, which, she says, would have been challenging if not impossible for a male researcher.
     Bedouin Weaving is lavishly illustrated with concise illustrations and beautiful photographs. Hilden clearly explains the entire process, stating "In earlier times, Bedouins made much of what they needed themselves, using every resource at hand" (p. 14). Wool fiber is collected from the tribe's own herds of goats, camels and sheep. The fiber is then hand spun into yarns using drop spindles, the design of which dates back centuries. She quotes anthropologist Klaus Ferdinand, "No other appliance is used as much as the spindle. It accompanies women and young girls wherever they go" (p. 123). The advantage of this type of spindle is its easy portability. The natural white, black and shades of brown fiber are used and additional colors such as red or orange are obtained by dyeing the yarn, using madder root, toadstools and various other plant materials. Increasingly, Bedouin women use commercial dyes in the mix with natural dyes. Hilden includes the dye recipes of several weavers in Appendix 5.
     Once a weaver has spun sufficient yarn, she sets up a simple loom on the ground using only four rods and four tent stakes. She then weaves strips of cloth with a variety of patterns called wasm. Wasm are tribal symbols which indicate ownership of animals, used on free roaming camels and used on other textiles to proclaim tribal identity. The symbols are generally basic geometric shapes well suited for weaving. Hilden describes and illustrates how the pieces are next stitched together into larger pieces for use as the tent or other items.
     The Bedouin way of life is disappearing. "The number of nomads in the Arab world has decreased dramatically in the 20th century," Hilden states; "Some continue to weave, but the lifestyle that gave birth and purpose to the weaving is fast disappearing, the victim of industrialization, government control and international conflicts" (p. l). Bedouin Weaving provides unique insight into that way of life. It is useful to scholars and weavers, but accessible enough to be interesting to the general public.

Gulf Times article by Fran Gillespie/Doha

Expert shares knowhow on Bedouin weaving

Detail of camel ornament showing the royal wasm of Al Saud of Saudi Arabia

An audience of more than 100 people was given an illustrated presentation last week by Joy Totah Hilden, the visiting author of a comprehensive book on traditional Bedouin weaving, on the subject of her research.
The presentation took place at a meeting of the Qatar Natural History Group. (click here to continue reading ...)

"Bedouin in the Big City" by Tracy Hudson

Please see an excellent article by Tracy Hudson, "Bedouin in the Big City" in Spinoff Magazine, Spring 2012 issue, pp. 48 -51. Tracy learned how to spin and weave from a Bedouin woman in Doha, Qatar, and through referencing Joy's book on Bedouin Weaving.


Tracy posts on Ravelry.com as himalaya. Please also visit her blog, http://einesaite.blogspot.com.

Travel

Joy Hilden went on a tour to Saudi Arabia and Qatar April 5 through April 21^st. Lectures and other events were scheduled by private heritage organizations. The subject was Bedouin weaving, cultural heritage, and her book, Bedouin Weaving of Saudi Arabia and its Neighbours.

She visited Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Jouf, the El Qasim region, the Asir region and Dhahran. She visited Qatar under separate auspices.

For a full description of the tour with accompanying photos, please click: Lecture Tour to Saudi Arabia and Qatar

Book Review by Nancy Arthur Hoskins

Hali Magazine, Issue 168, p. 149.

BEDOUIN WEAVING OF SAUDI ARABIA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS

Joy Totah Hilden. Arabian Publishing, London 2010. 270 pp.,248 colour and over 100 black and white illustrations, drawings, diagrams, and weaving drafts, maps, appendices, definitions of terms, glossary, notes, bibliography, index. ISBN 9780955889400. Hardbound, 60 pounds, $120.

Reviewed by Nancy Arthur Hoskins

The quintessential Bedouin textile is a warp-faced, warp-patterned weave with weft-faced, weft-patterned, weft-twined bands made of hand-spun, natural-dyed wool. This fabric is woven on a simple ground loom suitable for their nomadic lifestyle. The sturdy warp yarn, skillfully arranged on the loom and woven with techniques passed down from generation to generation, becomes the fabric for a quotidian tent, curtain, cushion, rug, bag, or camel trapping trimmed with tassels, braids and bells.

With pride, the women created these items to add colour, beauty, and flair to the necessities of shelter and sustenance in their harsh environment. But now the centuries-old wandering way of life is changing – perhaps vanishing – as the Bedouin tribes leave the desert for a more settled pastoral or urban existence. The author of Bedouin Weaving senses that “the loss of hand spinning spells the beginning of the in in the delicate chain of hand-weaving tasks.” Contemporary textiles dyed and woven with synthetic materials will never have the sublime beauty of the older fabrics.

Joy Totah Hilden, who lived in Saudi Arabia from 1982-1994, was the right person in the right place at the right time to capture the cultural significance of and technical information about the traditional artistry and artifacts of the Bedouin. She is an artist, a teacher, a weaver and – as this book proves – a capable ethnographer who dedicated may years to studying the details of Bedouin weaving. One only has to look at the first map to see the extent and intent of her impressive research.

The book begins with a general discussion of ‘Textiles in Saudi Arabia’ and ‘The Bedouin and Their Lifestyle’,, but the emphasis is on the chapters devoted to ‘The Weavers’ and ‘The Techniques of Spinning, Dyeing, and Weaving’. The story of each visit to a weavers provides an interesting and intimate glimpse into their personal world. Hilden’s photos, descriptions, clear diagrams, recipes and weave drafts record – and rescue – the textile heritage of the Bedouin weaver.

A weaver with basic skills can make the loom and tools used by the Bedouin and follow Hilden’s instructions to explore the techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and finishing as it was done throughout history by the desert dwellers. A textile teacher could use this as a textbook for a course on Bedouin weaving. A collector will find this an informative text for identifying the type of weave and the probable tribal origin of textiles from Saudi Arabia and the other regions included in the final chapters. ‘Some Bedouin Textiles from Northern Arabia’ and ‘Bedouin Weaving of Other Arab Countries’. The book is profusely illustrated with excellent documented photography by the author. Five Appendices – Definitions of Terms in English, A Note on Transliteration, An Arabic-English Glossary, Notes, Bibliography, and an Index supplement the information in the text.

In a poignant epilogue, written fourteen years after she left Saudi Arabia, Hilden writes that, “Nomadism is a phenomenon of the past. Bedouin weaving has evolved into a decorative and historical art. Today it owes its preservation to a self-conscious effort to save part of the Arab cultural heritage.”

This handsome book makes a significant contribution to textile history, is an important text for the collector, curator, or craftsman, and captures the essence of Bedouin weaving as it was in the past.

Book Review by Kay Hardy Campbell

Review, Saudi Aramco World, Sept., Oct. 2010

By Kay Hardy Campbell

Joy Totah Hilden, 2010, Arabian Publishing, 978-0-95588-940-0.

In traditional Arabian Bedouin society, women wove and built their families’ goat-hair tents, using wool from their own herds. Hilden lived in Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 1994, learning everything she could about Bedouin weavers and their art; as a weaver and weaving instructor herself, she knew what she needed to learn and sought this knowledge in every region of Saudi Arabia. She stayed in touch with her favorite weavers, noting how their art changed with time and with their families’ integration into the modern economy. While the traditional craft is hardly practiced today, Hilden notes that many cultural institutes in the region are trying to preserve it. Her discussion of Bedouin life as seen through the weaver’s eyes reveals the gentle harmony they kept with the desert environment. The thorough information about the weavings photographed in the book will help collectors and archivists, and the book is also a precise and accurate guide for those who would like to make their own Bedouin weavings. It includes specific directions on weaving patterns and spinning and weaving techniques, and information on natural dyes.

Book review by Nadine Rose

Asian Affairs, July, 2011

by Nadine Rose

Hilden has produced a book for both the textile specialist and the weaving novice. Bedouin Weaving is beautifully visual and full of technical, geographical and historical facts. Focusing on Saudi Arabia and its neighbours, the back drop to the story of weaving is fascinating, the descriptions of the weavings and the producers is superlative and transports the reader into their everyday life.

Chapter one introduces a central theme of the book: that Bedouin weaving as a way of life is coming to an end. Hilden has undertaken a timely work of art in producing this book, having been researching and collecting data and objects for the past 30 years. As a passionate collector herself, she is able to delve into factors in the past in the context of today. Her description of the historical use of pit looms and ground looms and the textiles they produce demystifies the techniques and the beauty behind the objects.

Chapter two transports the reader into another world, with stunning photography and accounts from other historical writers about the riding litter, used to transport women, children, brides and objects by camel, and is ornaments. For the Al Murrah tribe, the word for litter is now the same word as car, ‘sayyarah’, and decoration once used for camels has now been transferred to cars and trucks, highlighting the importance given to long journeys by the Bedouin drivers.

Camel trappings are no longer being produced and the tribal brand of the Bedouins, the ‘wasm’, is also becoming obsolete along with the nomadic way of life.

Chapter three focuses on the weavers themselves, predominantly women in Saudi Arabia, apart from one area where – as in Yemen and Oman – there are men using ground looms and producing warp weft fabric. Hilden states that “Bedouin women enjoy a degree of freedom that urban women do not” (P. 55) as they are allowed to drive. As urbanization increases, the Saudi Arabian government is attempting to reintroduce and promote craft traditions, yet is using Egyptian and Turkish teachers and techniques, thus threatening and ignoring the true creative contribution and talent of the Saudi Bedouin women. Hilden uses a series of case studies taken from a geographical spread to examine and discuss the weaving techniques, looms and tools used and the skills of the weaver, providing evidence of patterning and dyeing supported by beautiful photography.

This is continued in great detail in chapter four. The “Techniques of Dyeing and Weaving” is suitable for the expert, explaining step by step ‘how to do it yourself’ and what is needed for the various techniques, including a good account of the purpose of tassels, braids and edging stitch, all of which are of value to the collector as well. Chapter five exhibits Bedouin textiles from Northern Arabia, exploring colour, objects, stitches and patterns.

Chapter six opens the reader’s eyes to the sharing of common technique along the borders of Saudi Arabia and into the rest of the Middle East. Functional woven camel gear in particular demonstrates similarities – with the main difference being colour and design. “Nomads in Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan, Pakistan and even Tibet use black goat hair tents and weave on ground looms just as the Arab Bedouins do, however in these areas there is a diversity of weaving techniques unlike in Saudi Arabia where pile weaving pre-dominates.” (p.178) (misquote) Patterning using complementary warp patterning on long narrow strips is universal. (See definition p. 243) Sadly, as Hilden highlights in her section on Yemen, many of the skills involved in the dyeing of clothes and textiles are now being lost as Asian imports are increasingly replacing local industries such as indigo dyeing. As the pace of modernization has accelerated, it is the Bedouin in the Gulf States who have lost more of their culture than those in Saudi Arabia, in part by being offered government inducements to settle in new towns and cities.

In her epilogue, Hilden states that there are other countries in the Gulf, such as Oman and Kuwait, which provide hope for the future of Bedouin weaving. Sadu House in Kuwait and the Omani Heritage Gallery are both cultural projects which may be used as models by other Arab countries where weaving is now becoming a craft to be preserved.

The bibliography of “Saudi Arabian Fibre Arts and Related Subjects” supports Hilden’s wish to “consider her book a success if it awakens an interest in Bedouin weaving and textiles”, by enabling the specialist or the novice to access the information needed to take the next step in furthering their knowledge of the subject.