Assuit Dress

Assuit shawls and dresses, also known as Tulle-bi-telli, are named after the Northern Egyptian city Assuit where the tradition originated. The production of Assuit garments and shawls started by the Coptic Christian minority of Egypt. Originally made to decorate Egyptian bridal ware, it became popular in the west during the Egyptian revival period in the 19th century. The clothing has been showcased in Hollywood productions like Cleopatra, the 1934 epic film by Cecil B. DeMille. It was also very popular among flappers in the 1920s.

The technique for Assuit involves marrying cotton or linen mesh with small strips of metal alloy, and the alloy is applied by hand. Alloy is used instead of silver, because pure silver would darken with age and cleaning would be impractical. Because of it’s openwork mesh, Assuit has a strong elasticity and is prized for its ability to drape.

This elegant Assuit dress is made of black mesh with human figures and camels among the usual geometrical forms.It is floor length with long sleeves and in perfect condition.