In line with the school’s promise to promote textile artisanship in Lebanon, Majal instructors and students have launched a project to document and eventually sustain Baalbaki tarq embroidery.
Tarq uses fine, flat metal wire instead of threads, as well as a special flat needle with two holes. Because of the nature of the thread, embroidered Tarq pieces showcase a distinctive aesthetic where stitches have edges, motifs are largely geometrical and the luster of metal illuminates the fabric.
“Tarq was once a flourishing craft in the city of Baalbek, using hundreds of hands and sustaining an equal number of families,” Yasmine Dabbous, Majal cofounder and executive manager, said. “Today, only few artisans engage in Tarq, making it an endangered craft. Due to lack of documentation, little is known about the history and origins of the craft, as well as the evolution of the stitches and techniques, further raising the alarm about the viability of Tarq beyond the hands that practice it today.”
Majal Design School as well as two third parties (US-based fashion historian Valeria Zubieta, PhD, and Rita Kalindjian, head of the Balamand archeology museum) have joined forces to research and document Baalbaki tarq but also to sustain the craft by connecting designers with makers and reinventing the use of tarq in art and design, in ways that ensure its sustainability.
“This comes as part of our mission to promote artisanship in general, and textile handwork in particular,” Dabbous continued. “We are already amazed by the findings and we can’t wait to do more. The hands working in Baalbek deserve it, and so do our designers and artists around the country.”