Today's Edition
RABI HAMAMSAH (ABU DHABI)
Al Sadu is a traditional Emirati weaving technique deeply rooted in Bedouin culture. It involves using wool from camels, goats, and sheep to create blankets, carpets, pillows, tents, camel saddle decorations, and belts. The term “Al Sadu” specifically refers to the process of weaving wool, and like other traditional handicrafts, Al Sadu relies heavily on its tools and equipment.
Historically, Emirati women have been the primary practitioners of Al Sadu since ancient times, giving the craft a significant place among the various forms of Emirati artistry and culture. The art form also once constituted a major economic contribution on the part of women, and played a central role in local community life.
Due to its significance, in November 2011, Al Sadu was inscribed on UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. This recognition underscores the importance of preserving and passing this heritage practice on to future generations.
Fabrics of HistoryOriginally, Al Sadu used wool, fur, or hair from camels, goats, and sheep. However, today’s practitioners typically purchase and dye wool from local markets. Al Sadu is characterised by its vertical threads stretched on pegs using special machines with sharp components made from deer horn.
Haifa Musabih, a craftswoman in Al Sadu industry, detailed the relationship between Al Sadu and camels in an interview with Aletihad, stating: “It was an industry that in the past depended on camel hair, which was taken from the neck, hump, and shoulders. Today, women use the wool of goats and sheep and dye it, after removing the impurities and grass residue that is stuck in it, so that the fibres become suitable for spinning. Then the fibres are turned into wood made from using the ‘ghazala’ (a traditional spinning tool) to pull the fibres from it and spin it.
“Sheep wool is distinguished from other raw materials used for Al Sadu by its abundance and good spinning and weaving, in addition to its white colour that suits most tastes. Also, white sheep wool is easy to dye in any colour, unlike the hair of camels, which is more difficult to dye.”
Hesa Al Maleki, another Al Sadu craftswoman, told Aletihad about the process of sorting, cleaning, and preparing the wool. ‘’It is sorted according to colour and length. This material is then cleaned by being blown and shaken to rid it of any plant matter, thorns, dust, or soil. It is then soaked in hot or cold water three or more times, using soap or detergent powder for further cleaning. The material is then blown to break it up into smaller pieces.”
According to Al Maleki, an Al Sadu craftswoman must learn the correct way to stretch cotton on a loom, a wooden machine on which the threads are placed vertically, along with another machine known as a a yoke, which is used to fix the threads so that they are distributed at the top and bottom. The weaving itself is done on a floor loom made from palm tree. For large projects like tents or wedding decorations, multiple looms are used.
The crafting of Al Sadu items, involving various stitches and designs, can take weeks, Al Maleki said. ‘’Then comes the process of implementing stitches for drawing on Al Sadu, and it has many types that the craftswomen work hard to implement, and it takes one to two weeks to make a piece of Al Sadu.”
‘’Traditionally, weavers would gather in small groups to spin and weave these items, exchanging family news and occasionally chanting or reciting poetry, such as Al Taghrooda. Traditional Al Sadu colours are black, white, brown and beige,’’ she added.
Woven SymbolsAl Sadu textiles in the UAE are distinguished by their aesthetic value, rich in decorations, symbols, shapes, and inscriptions reflecting the Bedouin environment.
Haifa Musabih detailed some of the symbols and decorations, stating: ‘’The decorative units in Al Sadu represent, in addition to simple geometric shapes, the waves of water, along with many other environmental elements, such as palm trees, sand, and flowers, as well as elements of social and religious life, such as verses from Quran, pictures of mosques, and some animals such as sheep and falcons.”
For instance, a chain with overlapping rings symbolises the unity and cohesion between tribe members, and depictions of date fruits may be used to denote specific events, Musabih added.
“Although these decorative designs and patterns occasionally vary between tribes and regions, particularly in terms of decorative unit names or types, or the blending of thread colours, they are still analogous in most ways, and in their connotations. They embody trends, attitudes, beliefs, and social phenomena,” she noted.
Al Sadu is a masterpiece from the beautiful past, Musabih said, adding that the weaver creates decorative patterns of their own artistic tastes through intertwining, overlapping, symmetry and congruence.
According to Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, the most frequently used designs of Al Sadu are as follows: the masters’ design, tree design, “Al Owerayan” pattern, spotted leather skin, ammunition passer, grains, “Asnan Al Khail” pattern (the square shape of horse teeth) and scissors.
The grains pattern, for example, consists of long strips, often white in colour, containing a set of points resembling crop grains, whereas the background of the leaders’ pattern is sable. The inscription in the centre pivots on differently coloured triangles stacked together.
