Al Sadu

Latest revision as of 15:15, 4 June 2022

Al Sadu is a traditional form of weaving practiced to produce soft furnishings and decorative accessories for camels and horses by Bedouin women in rural communities of the United Arab Emirates

Ancient tribal weaving, Al Sadu, is known to artistically portray Arabian nomadic peoples' rich cultural heritage and sense of natural beauty. Traditional tribal lifestyle, the desert environment, and the weavers' creative self-expression are woven into geometric and figurative patterns and symbols. A weaver's hand can be seen in the camel weaving practice. Their figurative symbolism is important to the textile's production and has been incorporated into highly prized woven Sadu textiles.

Shearing and cleaning the wool are done by the women, while men shear the sheep, camels, and goats. Weaving on a warp-faced plain weave floor loom is performed by spinning the yarn on a drop spindle, dyeing it, and then weaving it on a drop spindle. Black, white, brown, beige, and red are traditional colors and patterns, with narrow bands of geometric design woven into the weave.

It produces colorful products, such as clothing, camel and horse decorations, Bedouin tents, majlis floor pillows, carpets and mats, and Bedouin tents. Weavers will often gather in small groups to spin and weave, exchanging family news and reciting poetry from time to time. Such gatherings are the traditional transmission method: girls watch and are given tasks to sort the wool, and they then learn the more intricate skills involved in doing so.

Since tribal existence is long gone and weaving skills and memories are fading, tribal camel textiles have practically ceased to exist, as well as nomadic animal husbandry, which was once crucial and vital. However, the advent of oil has caused a sharp decline in the practice of Al Sadu due to rapid economic development and social changes. There is a dispersal of rural Bedouin communities among urban settlements, and young women are working outside the home more frequently. Al Sadu bearers (traditional sheikhs) have declined in numbers.

Al Sadu Society established the Sadu House in Kuwait in 1980 to protect the interests of Bedouins and Sadu weavers. Currently, through the initiative of Embrace Doha, an independent cultural house located in Souq Al Wakrah, two private galleries were organized to tell the story of Sadu from the perspective of the last few Sadu weavers that remain in the country. However, throughout their efforts, they aim to bring attention to the importance of preserving the intangible heritage of Sadu weaving for the benefit of the wider community.

References

(https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/al-sadu-traditional-weaving-skills-in-the-united-arab-emirates-00517) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Sadu#Al_Sadu_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates)

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-{{PostForm |Body='''Al Sadu''', or simply Sadu, describes an embroidery form in geometrical shapes hand-woven by Bedouin people. Sadu House in Kuwait was established by the Al Sadu Society in 1980 to protect the interests of the Bedouins and Sadu weaving. Al Sadu traditional weaving skills in the United Arab Emirates is contained in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.  ===The nature of Al Sadu=== Al Sadu is said to be an ancient tribal weaving craft that artistically portrays Arabian nomadic peoples’ rich cultural heritage and instinctive expression of natural beauty. Woven geometric and figurative patterns and symbols reflect the traditional tribal lifestyle, the desert environment and the weavers’ creative self-expression. The textiles and weaving practice can be seen as an extension of the weaver’s hand, and the graceful moving pace of the camel. Camels were used for transportation and food, but also for textile production, and so their figurative symbolism is important. Camel symbols and tribal animal brandings can create a complex visual code depicted in highly prized woven Sadu textiles. With the demise of tribal existence and the decline of associated weaving skills and memories, the demands for tribal camel textiles have virtually ceased, and so Al Sadu weaving and nomadic animal husbandry, once crucial and vital, is in decline.  ===Al Sadu in Kuwait=== There are two main settings for Al Sadu in Kuwait: the desert, the traditional home of the nomadic Bedouin, where weaving was carried out by women; and the settled, urban existence of the town, where a very different type of weaving was undertaken by men. The history of wool weaving in the Arabian desert goes back thousands of years with woven items such as the tent and its colorful dividers, storage bags and animal trappings. In the urban setting of the town, men took on the weaving of cloth for the bisht (a man’s cloak).  The Al Sadu Society of Kuwait is dedicated to preserving, documenting and promoting the rich and diverse textile heritage of the Kuwaiti Bedouin, from the nomadic weaving of the desert through to the urban weaving of the town. Begun in 1978, as a private initiative, by a group of concerned Kuwaitis who wished to preserve a fast disappearing, yet intrinsic, cultural identity, the Al Sadu Project was founded. In 1991, soon after the Liberation of Kuwait, the project was transformed into Al Sadu Weaving Co-operative Society, a venture owned and run by the weavers and artisans themselves. The society runs a gallery, museum, shop and workshop at Sadu House (Beit al Sadu).  ===Al Sadu in the United Arab Emirates=== Al Sadu in the United Arab Emirates is a traditional form of weaving practised by Bedouin women in rural communities. Traditionally men shear goats and camels, and the wool is cleaned and prepared by the women. The yarn is spun on a drop spindle, then dyed using local plant extracts (such as henna or saffron), and then woven on a floor loom using a warp-faced plain weave. The traditional colours are black, white, brown, beige and red, with distinctive patterns in the form of narrow bands of geometric designs. The result is colourful products: clothing, camel and horse decorations, Bedouin tents, majlis floor pillows, carpets and mats. Traditionally, women gather in small groups to spin and weave, exchanging family news and occasionally chanting and reciting poetry. Such gatherings are also the means of transmitting the tradition: girls learn by watching, and are gradually given tasks to do, such as sorting the wool, before learning the more intricate skills involved.  In 2011 at the Sixth Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Al Sadu in the United Arab Emirates was inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.  |URL= |Country= |Media_URL= }}
+{{PostForm
+|Body=Al Sadu is a traditional form of weaving practiced to produce soft furnishings and decorative accessories for camels and horses by Bedouin women in rural communities of the United Arab Emirates
+Ancient tribal weaving, Al Sadu, is known to artistically portray Arabian nomadic peoples' rich cultural heritage and sense of natural beauty. Traditional tribal lifestyle, the desert environment, and the weavers' creative self-expression are woven into geometric and figurative patterns and symbols. A weaver's hand can be seen in the camel weaving practice. Their figurative symbolism is important to the textile's production and has been incorporated into highly prized woven Sadu textiles.
+Shearing and cleaning the wool are done by the women, while men shear the sheep, camels, and goats. Weaving on a warp-faced plain weave floor loom is performed by spinning the yarn on a drop spindle, dyeing it, and then weaving it on a drop spindle. Black, white, brown, beige, and red are traditional colors and patterns, with narrow bands of geometric design woven into the weave.
+It produces colorful products, such as clothing, camel and horse decorations, Bedouin tents, majlis floor pillows, carpets and mats, and Bedouin tents. Weavers will often gather in small groups to spin and weave, exchanging family news and reciting poetry from time to time. Such gatherings are the traditional transmission method: girls watch and are given tasks to sort the wool, and they then learn the more intricate skills involved in doing so.
+Since tribal existence is long gone and weaving skills and memories are fading, tribal camel textiles have practically ceased to exist, as well as nomadic animal husbandry, which was once crucial and vital. However, the advent of oil has caused a sharp decline in the practice of Al Sadu due to rapid economic development and social changes. There is a dispersal of rural Bedouin communities among urban settlements, and young women are working outside the home more frequently. Al Sadu bearers (traditional sheikhs) have declined in numbers.
+Al Sadu Society established the Sadu House in Kuwait in 1980 to protect the interests of Bedouins and Sadu weavers. Currently, through the initiative of Embrace Doha, an independent cultural house located in Souq Al Wakrah, two private galleries were organized to tell the story of Sadu from the perspective of the last few Sadu weavers that remain in the country. However, throughout their efforts, they aim to bring attention to the importance of preserving the intangible heritage of Sadu weaving for the benefit of the wider community.
+===References===
+(https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/al-sadu-traditional-weaving-skills-in-the-united-arab-emirates-00517)
+(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Sadu#Al_Sadu_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates)
+|Subject=Art, Craftsmanship and Practices
+|Country=Kuwait, United Arab Emirates
+|SDG=(08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production
+}}