Kurdish needlework
Object
Needlework
Production date
1994
Object number
2015.7
Physical Description
A Kurdish decoration made from wool, beads and buttons.
This was made in 1994 by Zohra Pesman in Kurdistan and brought to Hackney when she came here in the late 1990s, escaping from persecution in her own country. She used it to decorate her home in Hackney and to remind her of the home she fled from. The design is very traditional; handmade pieces like this are often found in Kurdish villages and towns.
This was made in 1994 by Zohra Pesman in Kurdistan and brought to Hackney when she came here in the late 1990s, escaping from persecution in her own country. She used it to decorate her home in Hackney and to remind her of the home she fled from. The design is very traditional; handmade pieces like this are often found in Kurdish villages and towns.
Object history
Made by Zohre Pesman in 1994
This traditional Kurdish decoration is called a cangal. It can be displayed on the walls in a home. Cangals are usually handmade with materials found around the house such as spare buttons, beads, shells and cut offs from fabric and bedding.
The cangal is a common gift for women, believed to be a source of protection from the ‘evil eye’ and negative energy in the house once a woman is married. Many cangals are made when a girl is first born.
Some cangals have four sections which to some people can symbolise the four seasons, birth and death or the sun and moon. The cross represents Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Its round shape can represent the circle of life.
This traditional Kurdish decoration is called a cangal. It can be displayed on the walls in a home. Cangals are usually handmade with materials found around the house such as spare buttons, beads, shells and cut offs from fabric and bedding.
The cangal is a common gift for women, believed to be a source of protection from the ‘evil eye’ and negative energy in the house once a woman is married. Many cangals are made when a girl is first born.
Some cangals have four sections which to some people can symbolise the four seasons, birth and death or the sun and moon. The cross represents Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Its round shape can represent the circle of life.
Associated Organisation
Material
Wool
Dimension
Diameter: 28cm
Exhibition Label
From the exhibition 'Hackney@50: The People's Choice' [12 February - 29 August 2015]
"This was made in 1994 by Zohra Pesman in Kurdistan and brought to Hackney when she came here in the late 1990s, escaping from persecution in her own country. She used it decorate her home and to remind her of the home she fled. The design is very traditional and handmade pieces like this are often found in Kurdish villages and towns."
Chosen by Halkevi Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre
"This was made in 1994 by Zohra Pesman in Kurdistan and brought to Hackney when she came here in the late 1990s, escaping from persecution in her own country. She used it decorate her home and to remind her of the home she fled. The design is very traditional and handmade pieces like this are often found in Kurdish villages and towns."
Chosen by Halkevi Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre
On display?
No