Tatreez Wooden Chest: Homage to Ethnically Cleansed Villages

At Badan, each piece we create is historically inspired and poetically designed. This tatreez chest is no different. The designs curated are intended to pay homage to villages destroyed and erased (fully or partially) due to the expulsion of 1948. These three areas are: Lifta, Beit Jibrin, Bir Saba. They are accompanied by a forth tile originating from Ramallah, a region that has played a vital role in the preservation of tatreez for the last 76 years.

This chest was designed and curated by Badan, and created in collaboration with artisans and embroidered based in occupied Palestine. It is perfect use for storing tatreez supplies, items, or used as decor for your space.

Materials and Dimensions:

• Stitching: Hand-embroidered tatreez
• Framing: Hand-carved and framed wood
• Interior Fabric: Linked with burgundy-colored Velvet
• Thread Colors: Red, Olive Green, Burgundy, and Pink
• Wood Color: Dark Brown
• Size: 11Dx11Wx3H inches
• Additional: Front-facing metal lock to keep your items safe inside

History of Erased Villages:

1) Lifta is a deserted village located near Jerusalem. It was mostly destroyed in 1948 by Zionist troops with the exception of few buildings, including the village mosque, its club, and some houses. On December 28th 1947, six people were gunned down in an act of terror in the village coffee house. After this, its population was repeatedly terrorized into leaving. By February 1948, the village was completely emptied and all of its remaining inhabitants were trucked to East Jerusalem. Currently, Lifta is a part of the suburbs of West Jerusalem.

2) Beit Jibrin is a village located near Hebron. It is also 2 miles from Deir Nakhas–another village depopulated after 1948). The inhabitants of Beit Jibrin were completely ethnically cleansed because of a military assault by Zionist troops. The village was mostly destroyed with the exception of the village Mosque, an unidentified shrine, and few remaining houses. Many refugees ended up in refugee camps around Bethlehem and Hebron, and some in 'Aqbit Jabir nearby Jericho. Many of these refugees were cleansed again to Amman's refugee camps after the 1967 war.

3) Bir Saba is located in Al-Naqab desert and comprised of a large population of nomadic Arab Bedouin tribes. In 1946, the Palestinian population of Al-Naqab area was about 90,000, spread over 96 different Bedouin tribes. Their livelihood relied on camel transport of trade supplies across the arid lands from Gaza across to Egypt and to the Arabian Peninsula. They lived a mainly pastoral, nomadic life relying on trading in livestock in the market. Markets which also offered silver jewelry, embroideries, and woven carpets. In 1948, 80% of these tribes were driven out to refugee camps in Gaza and the West Bank. The remaining tribes were regrouped into 19 tribal confederations and reallocated to four new settlements in the desert of Israel. About half refused to live in these settlements and formed their own “unrecognized” small villages, without any municipal services.