MPP CatalogIt Item Details
Untitled (circa 1990s)
Photograph
Dry stone terrace walls, such as those featured in this photograph, are as characteristic of the Ramallah landscape as the olive trees that grow behind them. In 2014, UNESCO recognized the cultural significance of Palestine's ancient agricultural terrace system by inscribing the "Land of Olives and Vines: Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir" on the World Heritage List, acknowledging a tradition of terrace cultivation that dates back millennia.
The woman wears a traditional ensemble from Ramallah, including a khirqa headscarf, a coin-adorned wuqāya headdress, and an embroidered dress (thobe). The dress is constructed from locally woven rūmī linen and was likely embroidered during the early twentieth century using silk or cotton thread. The woman's subtle half-smile, paired with her downward gaze, creates an expression that resists easy interpretation. Positioned slightly off center, she appears absorbed in a private moment, while Bandak's low vantage point, informed by photographing from her wheelchair, contributes to the intimacy of the portrait.
Authored by Wafa Ghnaim
2022.150
Ramallah (رام الله)
Palestine (فِلَسْطِين)
Asia
Permanent Collection
Wafa Ghnaim
Photographs
Lily Bandak
Photographer
circa 1990
Jordan (الأردن)
Asia
Makers Mark
Bottom right corner
Signature of Lily Bandak
Gift of the Bandak family
This is an authentic reproduction, mounted and signed by Lily Bandak.