This garment speaks to the generosity and resilience of women in the face of hugely challenging, and radically changed, circumstances. The woman who made it, donated the dress to another woman, who was expelled from her home during the Nakba of 1948 and arrived in Ramallah with little to wear. The new owner must have been taller than the original maker as she has enlarged the dress with panels at the waist.

The additional material reflects the urgency of the circumstances: she has used sacking from a bag of flour issued to refugees by UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency).

The object is from the collection of Maha Abu Shosheh and is on display in Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery at the Whitworth Art Gallery until 7 April 2024.