Palestinian tatreez (cross-stitch embroidery) carries centuries of cultural meaning through intricate patterns representing sophisticated textile traditions passed down through generations of Palestinian women. Among the most significant motifs is the 8-pointed star, which appears in regional variations across Palestine—called 'crushed sugar' in Bethlehem, 'stars' in Yaffa, 'moons' in Ramallah, and 'roses' in Gaza.2
The pattern itself spans over 3,000 years of continuous cultural practice. Ancient Mesopotamian artefacts from the 14th-8th centuries BCE show the motif on royal headdresses.1 Medieval evidence from 1283 CE confirms its persistence, with similar tatreez work found on dresses of eight female mummies in Qadisha Valley. The same motif appears across Indigenous cultures globally—in Palestinian embroidery, Lakota 'Morning Star' quilts, and Malay Songket 'lotus flowers'—demonstrating that Palestinians belong to a 3,000-year-old Indigenous network.2
Head of a female figure, Neo-Assyrian, 8th century BCE, Mesopotamia, Nimrud. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1954. Object No. 54.117.8.
Embroidered dress from Maronite mummy, Qadisha Valley, 1283 CE. Shows medieval continuity of tatreez patterns still used today. From Fadi Baroudi (ed.), Momies du Liban, Paris: Edifra, p. 67.
“Kain kepala” (detail): Nusantara, Sumatra; 19th century. Cotsen Textile Traces Study Collection T-1720.
Thobe (detail) from a village between al-Khalil and Yaffa, early 20th century. Wafa Ghnaim, The Tatreez Institute Collection.
Almira Buffalo Bone Jackson, “Twirling Leaves” (1968- 1988). National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institute.